


Homesick

by FlightInSnow



Category: Original Work
Genre: Anal Sex, Angst, Anthropomorphic, Bondage, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Magic, Marking, Mating Bites, Mating Bond, Naga, Rough Sex, Sorcerers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-30
Updated: 2020-03-30
Packaged: 2021-02-28 19:13:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 73,936
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23392291
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FlightInSnow/pseuds/FlightInSnow
Summary: Adrian is a young sorcerer, desperately trying to put his life back together after his family was killed in a car crash over a year ago. One of the few practicing sorcerers in the state he is under a lot of pressure to use his powers for others. To make matters worse fate has paired him an unlikely supernatural partner. No one ever said life was supposed to be easy. Or fair.
Comments: 7
Kudos: 77





	1. A New Start

\--

Homesick

Chapter One  
A New Start 

\--

“I really think you should come.” It was the same argument Adrian had been having for weeks. He stared up at Daniel, all to aware of how he looked with his bloodshot brown eyes and unkept hair.

“I already told you Daniel, I’m not going.” He said wearily. Daniel threw his hands up in the air.

“Adrian, please! Your family has always attended the quadrennial conference for centuries! They are… were one of the most powerful magical practitioners in the country. You represent them now.”

There was a heavy uncomfortable silence.

“It’s to soon.” Adrian said finally, his voice thick. It had been a year and half. A year and six months since his mother, father and little sister Jenny, were killed in a burning inferno masquerading as a car crash that Adrian hadn’t been in. He had been taking an exam that day and had stayed behind with his friends to celebrate the end of term. A little over a year for Adrian to claw himself and what little remained of his life, back together.

“Won’t it always be to soon?” Daniel asked. Adrian swallowed an overly large lump in his throat.

“I can’t go to this thing, talk to these people and pretend everything is okay.” He replied. He pressed the heels of his palms to his eyes, shoulders slumping.

“No one is asking you too but the Blackthorn line is famous. Your famous in the magical world. At least make an appearance. You don’t have to give a speech or anything. Lyndall and I will stay with you the entire night.” Daniel looked down at the hollow shell that was once his best friend. Adrian had always been of a quiet disposition, gentle in nature and caring. Like his father, he had always carried himself with confidence but without overbearing or arrogance. Adrian put others before himself. Selfless to a fault. It showed when Adrian affinity came through.

All magical practitioners had their affinity appear around puberty. For some people that was as early as nine or as late as twenty-five. This affinity could be for fire or healing, divination or even necromancy. The personality of the individual played a significant role in coming into an individual’s affinity though how much of a role it played was still up for fierce debate in contemporary politics.

Once an affinity is presented it can not be changed. It was, of course, possible to perform all kinds of magic but one gifted with an earth divinity will always find earth-based spells far easier to cast than any other. True to his nature Adrian’s affinity was bizarre and quite unique. He was a shield castor. It sounded mundane and boring. After all, every student is taught the basics of shield casting as part of a regular education. Adrian wasn’t like other students though. His shields and barriers were unbreakable and could be cast over anything. No one had an ability quite like it, at least, not for the last decade and the Blackthorn family had been proud to show him off at the quadrennial conference when Adrian first came into his affinity at the age of fifteen. That was eight years ago.

The quadrennial conference was held by the magical community. Those of important rank were expected to go whether they be human, fae, lycan or anything else. The regular human race still far outnumbered those with magical blood but the world wouldn’t function without practitioners. Human magical practitioners like Adrian’s family had roles to fill, keeping the public safe. A role that Adrian had been ignoring for the past year and a half. He was still young and for the most part, he had been left alone. His family was old magical blood and he had substantial wealth to his name but Adrian refused to use any of it. He had a job at a small local gallery. His ability to shield came in handy when protecting expensive objects.

“Adrian.” Danial tried again.

“Please consider attending. Lyndall says you need to be there and you know her. If she says you need to be there, then it must be important.” Lyndall was a human practitioner with the affinity for fate. She couldn’t see the future as such, more, she felt when something was about to happen, for better or worse. Adrian lifted his head to stare at his childhood friend.

“I’ll think about it.” Adrian said finally. Danial studied him for a moment and then sighed.

“It’s Saturday night. It starts at seven. I’ll pick you up.” Adrian walked him to the front door.

“Okay.” His voice sounded hollow, even to his own ears. Danial paused on the threshold. He looked like he wanted to say something but then he turned, shook his head hopelessly, and walked out the front door into the weak autumn sunlight. Adrian watched him go. He knew Danial was worried about him, Lyndall too but truly there wasn’t anything they could do. They had been there for him and offered their company. It had helped if only a little. Adrian had been trying to keep himself as busy as humanly possible. He worked shifts at the gallery and when he wasn’t there he was taking the same class schedule as a full-time student. The small gaps in between were spent with Danial at the gym or home, asleep. He didn’t sleep much.

He knew he was desperately lonely. He understood that he was running himself mentally and physically into the ground but he couldn’t stop. In the moments of silence, he remembered too much and he just didn’t have the strength to deal with those memories right now.

Adrian walked down the carpet hallway, stripping off his old shirt and sweatpants. The bathroom tiles were icy against his bare feet. He turned the shower onto full and stepped under the spray. The blast of hot water helped to wake him up and chase away the itching that had set behind his sleep deprived eyes. He ran his fingers through his messy hair. His hair was a wild mix of browns and golds. He had natural highlights that came through all over the place. He thought about dying it all one colour but honestly couldn’t be bothered. 

He stayed in the shower for a long time, turning everything over in his mind. He really didn’t want to go to the conference but Danial had been right in saying that the Blackthorn’s had never missed one. His absence would cause unwanted attention. A soft mew echoed around the bathroom. Adrian swept his wet hair out of his eyes as a little white cat trotted into his bathroom, leaping up onto bench.

“Waiting for your breakfast?” He asked. The cat was undeniably pretty, with soft white fur, an elegant face and long tail. The small tom cat had turned up at Adrian’s house not long ago. At first, he thought the cat had to belong to a neighbour, looking like an expensive pedigree breed with mismatched eyes and pure long white pelt. He even went so far as to ring a few doorbells but no one could tell him who owned the cat. The cat wouldn’t let anyone but Adrian touch him so after a month or so, Adrian took him in. The cat strolled around the house like he owned it so Adrian decided to call him Prince. Adrian went to grab his towel and Prince pounced for the end.

“Hey! Let go you little fur barnacle!” Prince let go of the towel to jump into the shower and wet his paws. Prince could be destructive but Adrian was glad for the company. For any company. Prince followed him to the bedroom, promptly leaping up on the bed to leave a trail a dainty wet paw prints over the bedspread. Adrian snorted and scrunched up a tissue for Prince to play with. He loved destroying tissues. The day ahead of Adrian was set to be another long one. In the morning was a four-hour lecture on the history of curatorship followed by a four-hour shift at the gallery and a two-hour gym session with Danial in the afternoon. He fed his nagging cat and grabbed a cheese and bacon bread roll from the kitchen on his way out of the door.

The walk to campus was nearly an hour long but Adrian usually enjoyed it. He liked to observe the people around him, reading their auras. Aura reading was another basic skill students learning magic were taught. It wasn’t that difficult but very important for identifying who or what you could be potentially conversing with. Different creatures had different shaped auras. He remembered with a sad smile the very first time he had learnt to read auras. He must had been about eight and the first thing he had said to his mother, very loudly for the whole street to hear, was that their neighbour at the time, Mrs Buckly, was a werefox and asked if that was why her ears were so big. 

He remembered Jenny’s peeling laughter and his mother’s very red embarrassed face which was not quite as red as Mrs Buckly’s. Not to be confusing, magic presented very early, especially for long old families like Adrian’s. Normally by the time a toddler could speak was about the time the first wisps of magic can be identified. An affinity was like a fingerprint, a personal expertise and didn’t develop until much later after the basics had been mastered.

The autumn weather was proving to be quite vicious for so early in the year. Already, there was frost crystals on the remaining amber coloured leaves and breeze was wicked cold, whispering ice from some far aware place. He pulled his jacket collar a little higher and walked faster, getting the blood moving in his stiff legs. He stopped briefly for a coffee before carrying on, using the coffee cup to warm his freezing fingers. He walked passed many humans, most completely lost in their own little worlds. One, a middle aged balding man, was a fellow magical practitioner. He saw the man’s eyes widen slightly as he no doubt read Adrian’s aura as Adrian read his. The two stopped briefly to bow their heads in customary greeting before hastening on.

The campus was buzzing with students hurrying to classes. Adrian moved through the winding halls to his classroom. There were only twelve people in this particular class. Four spoke very broken English, three from China and one from Austria. Two other students always turned up an hour late. Of the remaining students, one always asked questions, one always argued and one was a woman so old, Adrian wasn’t even sure why she was taking the class as half the time she forgot her hearing aid and couldn’t understand anything the professor said. 

Adrian knew these people but he rarely spoke outside of a friendly hello. Perhaps he was once a little more outspoken but that side of him and long since been shut away. He sat down, pulled out his laptop and prepared for he knew was going to be another long day.

\--

“Adrian are you listening?” Adrian snapped his head up. Gale stared at him, her face scrunched into a frown which made her drooping features look even more pug like.

“Sorry, you were talking about the Seaside Exhibition.” Adrian said, stacking the brochures onto the desk. She huffed.

“Yes! I need to know if you will be free on Monday to fix the lighting. The artist will be here to install first thing Tuesday and I’m not dealing with the prat again.” That ‘prat’ was a local artist by the name of Marcel Taylor. He was rude and pompous but thankfully rarely visited the gallery. If it wasn’t for the fact that his paintings sold well, Gale wouldn’t have anything to do with the man.

“He always kicks up such stink about the damn lighting.” She grossed.

“I could put a hex on him for you.” He said with a lopsided smile. She shot him a look.

“Don’t tempt me.” She grumbled.

“So. You going to that conference?” She asked in a would be casual voice.

“It sounds like I don’t have much of a choice.” Adrian sad flatly. Gale leant against the bench, arms crossed.

“It’s all over the news. Always is. Us ordinary, non-magic folk love a good gathering. I hear that some of the more reclusive super natural critters will be attending. Maybe even a griffin or too.” She said, leaning a little too close. Gale was a woman in her fifties. She had been working in the gallery for close to ten years. She had two grown up children and loved to hear the gossip on the latest supernatural events. Adrian had to suffer through it quietly. He sighed, trying to sound as exasperated as he could.

“Griffins don’t have the slightest interest in those conferences. Nothing short of world war three would get them down off their high mountains in the sky.” He said, now stapling programs together. Gale pouted which made her look rather ridiculous. Her over sized necklace jangled loudly as she leant closer.

“At least you get to go.” She pointed out. Adrian stopped and looked her in the eyes.

“I would swap with you any day, any time.” Her face softly a little and she straightened up.

“Come one, go get us both a coffee from the downstairs café. You look dead on your feet. Get me a latte unless its Brad on the coffee machine. If its him then get me a hot chocolate. That man couldn’t make a decent coffee if the instruction manual smacked him in the face.” She grumbled, handing him a ten dollar note. Adrian snorted but pulled on his coat and went downstairs to line up with the other customers. It was Brad on the machine. Still, Adrian dared order himself a cappuccino. He instantly regrated his decision. Even with the little powder of chocolate the coffee was mildly cold and horribly bitter.

Urgh. Brad really couldn’t make a decent coffee. Whilst he waited for Gale’s hot chocolate he stared up at a small television that was playing the news.

“Excitement is revving up in the city for tomorrow night’s big event. The quadrennial conference marks the time for magical folk from all of the country and then some to meet. Already several well-known faces have been seen. The Mac a' Charraige family have come all the way from Scotland to attend.” The reporter was a bright eyed young human woman who showed probably slightly more cleavage then was really appropriate. She was practically vibrating with excitement as she gushed out a few more names and species who would be attending. It had been very difficult for Adrian to live a quite life at first. Thankfully he was too young to attend many of the events when his family had been alive which meant his face wasn’t recognised by many. He didn’t want fame.

“Your hot chocolate.” Brad handed him the cup. He hadn’t bothered to clean up the spilled foam off one side. With sticky fingers Adrian put the cup down to clean it probably. Suddenly his ears caught the next comment by the reporter and he stiffened.

“There is even a rumour the reclusive heir of the Blackthorn family will be in attendance. From what we know he has been keeping to himself these years since the tragic death of his family…” Adrian quickly grabbed the two drinks, nearly spilling them again and hurried away, trying to ignore the odd look he got from the barista. 

He threw himself into his work but being a Friday afternoon, the gallery wasn’t to busy. He told Gale that yes, he would be free on Monday to fix the lightening. She was closing up, often giving hm sideways glances as he tried to pretend she wasn’t there. They parted ways as the gallery closed and Adrian stepped back out in the freezing weather to catch a bus to the gym, his bag slung over one shoulder. He knew he was being ridiculous but he felt like everyone was watching him, identifying him. He put in his ear buds and tried to drown out the world with music. His one small reassurance was when he checked the auras of everyone in the bus, they were all perfectly normal humans and none seemed the slightest bit interested in him.

Danial scrutinized him very carefully when they met at the gym.

“Maybe we should take it easy this afternoon…” He said uncertainly. Adrian ignored him and swiped his gym card.

“Well I’m doing a full session, you can do what you want.” Danial gave an aggravated sigh but followed in his child hood friend. He gave the girl behind the front desk a slightly goofy smile and waved. She waved back, cheeks a little pink. Her name was Chloe, a pretty brunette with freckles who always worked the Friday shift.

“Just ask her out already.” Adrian muttered and Danial gave him a shove.

“Shh! She’ll hear you!” Danial squeaked. Adrian gave him the first real smile of the day and said,

“Oh, and what a surprise that would be. The guy that’s been making dumbass moon eyes at her for the last six months likes her. It’ll be such a shock.” The sarcasm was thick in his voice. Danial shoved him again, pushing him towards the locker rooms. Adrian almost didn’t want to leave. Whilst he worked out he could pretend the rest of the world didn’t exist. He could pretend that tomorrow would never come and he wouldn’t have to dress up like a performing monkey in front of potentially hundreds of important magical representatives. His muscles burned and it vaguely occurred to him that he probably should have eaten something a little more substantial then a bread roll and coffee today. Danial watched him like a hawk until finally the blonde snatch the one of the dumbbells away from him.

“Okay, we are done for today.” The man snapped. Adrian shot him a glare and made to stand. He wobbled for several moments and sat back on the bench. Danial gave him a look that was equal parts concern, frustration and annoyance.

“Okay, maybe we are done.” Adrian mumbled. His words were slightly slurred. He wiped at his sweaty face with the blue towel around his shoulders. Danial passed him his water bottle and watched his friend drain it in several long pulls.

“Come on, I’ll drive you home.” Danial said finally. Normally they would shower first but he didn’t trust Adrian not to fall flat on his face. The young sorcerer offered no complaints and allowed Danial to help him to the car. The ride back to the house was uncomfortable.

“Danial…”

“I know what your going to say and I don’t care. We’ve known each other since we were kids and for the last year and a half, I watched you waste away. I can’t do it anymore. You need to start getting back into the magical world, leave the house for something other then work or the gym. Lyndall are here to help but you need to try.” Danial wasn’t looking at him but Adrian could see his knuckles were almost white as he gripped the steering wheel. Adrian sighed and looked out the window. The sun had set but that didn’t mean the city wasn’t still busy. A couple of years ago some local artist thought it would be cool to hang fairy lights in many of the larger trees on the sidewalks. They lit up every night making the main road look like a Christmas card.

The crime rate in major cities these days was fairly low. There weren’t to many robberies or attacks as it can be pretty deterring knowing that your ‘victim’ could end up being a werewolf that can literally bite your face off and claim self-defence with little to no consequences. Supernatural violence was an issue but that was why human magical practitioners were so important. People like Danial and Adrian. Danial had a fire affinity. He could tell if fires had been conjured magically, by who and when. He had been called in by the local police a few times, usually for identifying arson. They pulled up out the front of Adrian’s house, snapping him out of his trance.

“Just try and get a good night’s sleep for once.” Danial implored as Adrian got out.

“And eat something dammit!” He yelled to his retreating back.

Adrian shut the front door with his boot and dumped his gym bag on the floor. Prince let out a mew of greeting, rubbing up against his leg.

“Hey fur face.” Adrian muttered, scooping the ball of white fluff. Prince sniffed him and his ears went back with a sneeze.

“Yeah, I guess I smell pretty rank. I’ll have a shower and then feed us both.” He mumbled, carrying the cat with him to the bathroom. Prince sat in the sink whilst Adrian showered. He scrubbed hard and tried to keep his brain from thinking about the conference tomorrow night. Every time he did he felt a cold wave of nausea. He knew his friends were right. He couldn’t ignore the outside world for the rest of his life. He would be going to this thing. Even if he really… really didn’t want to.

\--

END

\--


	2. The Quadrennial Conference

\--

Chapter Two

The Quadrennial Conference

\--

“I’ve changed my mind. I can’t do this.” Adrian choked. He stared at his reflection with a horrified expression. The tuxedo was fitted perfectly for him but that didn’t stop the overwhelming feeling of suffocation. Lyndall sighed as she pulled him away from the mirror.

“You will be fine.” She started to do up his tie for him. He knew how to do it himself but his hands were shaking so badly he hadn’t been able to do up the knot. His chest heaved in his expensive suit jacket and he wondered vaguely if this was what a panic attack felt like.

“Come on man, we’ll be with you the whole night.” Daniel said, clapping him on the shoulder. Adrian nearly buckled under the blow. Daniel was wearing his own black suit with an orange tie. His family crest, a flaming oak tree, was pinned to his lapel. Adrian’s own family crest was a Celtic knot of thorny branches. Daniel had needed to pin it on for him as Adrian somehow managed to stab himself with it a total of five times.

“It’s just one night Adrian. Trust me, you won’t regret going.” Lyndall said confidently. Her dark hair fell about her face in messy curls as she smiled. Lyndall was quite a pretty woman with a soft oval face and expressive eyes. Without make up she was easily mistaken for someone far younger. She was dressed in a long sapphire blue gown that matched her deep soulful blue eyes. She wore her own family crest, a human eye, as a hair pin. Her floral perfume of hyacinth and lavender was strong in the air. There was a limo waiting in the street for them. Adrian hadn’t wanted to arrive in such an obvious way but he didn’t have much of a choice.

“Can you be any more specific about why?” Adrian’s voice was getting squeaky. Lyndall shook her head as she straightened his tie.

“Doesn’t work like that and you know it. Trust me. Now let’s go.” She grabbed his hand and started to pull.

“Wait! I forgot to feed Prince!” Adrian squawked. Daniel came up behind him and started to push.

“I fed him, now walk dammit!” He growled. Together the two mages pushed and pulled Adrian to the car. Feeling defeated, he climbed in. As the door shut behind him he felt a sinking feeling in his gut. The ride over was very uncomfortable. His two friends gave up any small talk after the first few clipped responses. When Lyndall wondered out loud who might be attended, Adrian went distinctly green in the face and she soon went quiet. The suburbs they passed where getting progressively more expensive looking. The streets were brighter, cleaner and fenced.

They arrived to almost pandemonium. The long drive up the hall was blocked with masses of people. There were paparazzi everywhere. Cameras flashed, people jostled and the sound of all those people was like a dull roar even from inside the vehicle. Adrian was silently wishing he had an affinity in cloaking himself. Vaguely, he wandered if he could make a shield that reflected light… predator style.

“Let’s go.” Lyndall said, plucking a piece of invisible lint from her gown. Adrian hadn’t even noticed that they had stopped. Bile rose in his throat. The driver went around and opened the door for them. A literal red carpet had been laid down, going right out to the marble steps. Lyndall smiled and stepped out. 

“Miss Chevalier!”

“Over here Miss Chevalier!”

“Please, this way miss!”

“Miss Chevalier has just arrived, one of our local celebrities in our humble city. Her dress is utterly stunning, designed by the famous French fashion designer Gaspard Roche…” Adrian could hear a woman say. She was talking, or rather shouting, into a microphone, clearing reporting for some news station or another.

Men with cameras screamed to be heard over each other. Lyndall beamed her sweat smile, blue gown sparkling as she stepped out onto the walkway. She waved and smiled, turning to their massive audience.

“You next. Just take Lyndall’s arm and walk her in.” Daniel insisted. Adrian swallowed hard and climbed out of his seat. He tried to arrange his face into a neutral expression instead of one of apt terror. He straightened his suit jacket a little and stepped forward. Lyndall waited for him and he took her arm in his.

“Is that...? It is!”

“Mr Blackthorn, this way sir!”

The noise seemed to grow ten times louder. Camera flashes nearly blinded them as they walked toward the hall. Daniel came up behind them. One daring young photographer attempted to climb over the barrier to get closer but was thankfully accosted by one of the guards.

“You’re doing wonderfully.” Lyndall insisted, her voice low as she waved to the people they passed. Adrian really couldn’t manage the wide smile that she had perfected but at least he wasn’t frowning. At least he thought he wasn’t. He began to feel it as they got closer, a sort of prickling under the skin. It was a reaction to the magic that he knew was present all around them but now concentrated in that hall. He knew the hall and the surrounding street were warded to prevent any unwanted guests. The wards reacted, humming as they walked passed, invisible to the naked eye.

That walk had felt like the longest in his life. Well almost. The walk to his family’s coffins had been longer. Adrian swallowed. They made their way up the white marble steps. Two officials in fitted black and white uniforms greeted them as they entered.

The hall was massive. Adrian remembered vaguely the true sense of awe he had felt when he had first walked in on his mother’s heel. The tall ceiling sparkled with amber coloured crystals chandeliers. Corded white and gold marbled floors and walls that were draped in hundreds of flags cascading down, each one with the crest of a particular magic family or species. Adrian was practically glued to Lyndall, using her familiar aura to stabilise himself a little in the crowd of unfamiliar and powerful energies. The rabble outside was lost in the myriad of unique languages of hundreds of conversations. There was a string quartet playing just passed the entrance. 

“Miss Chevalier, it is wonderful to see you chéri!” A tall, frighteningly thin woman strode towards them. From her dancing cinnamon coloured aura and faintly pointed ears Adrian recognised the woman as a fae. She had an almost perfectly oval face which looked at odds with her painfully tall and thin frame. Her red dress only seemed to emphasize her extenuated figure. Her voice was high like bird song and from her strong accent, she was most certainly French. A bun made of several small beautifully intricate brunet braids sat atop the woman’s head.

“Aemele.” Lyndall greeted the woman affectionately. Lyndall’s family had originated from the northern city of Lille in France before they migrated during the second world war. Though they had left, the Chevalier family still had many of their connections with the old families that live there. The woman named Aemele turned to Adrian. She glanced only briefly at his crest before her dark green eyes softened.

“You must be Adrian. Lyndall has told me much about you. I am deeply sorry for your loss.” She said, scooping up one of his hands. She had to bend a little to place a sticky kiss on his cheek, leaving behind her cherry red lipstick.

“Thank you.” Adrian said a little woodenly. It was a phrase he was probably going to hear a lot tonight.

“Come on Adrian. Let’s leave the lovely ladies to their gossip whilst we search out something to drink.” Daniel said, swooping in. Adrian gave him a grateful smile. Thankfully Miss Aemele didn’t look the least bit offended. She waved and scooted in closer to talk with Lyndall, leading her away towards several lounges.

There were numerous long tables covered in hors d'oeuvre on silver platters. Another long table had been set up further away. Adrian knew from passed experience that it was always very wise to take careful note of which table was which as one table had food on it which was intended for guest with far less human appetites. The plates were artfully decorated on greens or ice and at first glance it wasn’t always easy to tell what was on the platter. Last time he has nearly taken a bite out of a raw kidney sausage that Jenny had nearly convinced him was pâté. Their mother had not been impressed and had thankfully saved him the horror of throwing up in front a room of rich and powerful supernatural guests. Jenny had still been giggling even after their mother had given her a light swat.

A waiter passed by, stopping to offer them both campaign in tall elegent flutes. Adrian took the glass and silently wondered if he should down it to take the edge off his nerves. He rolled the delicate stem between his fingers, staring at the soft gold bubbles. He sipped… sensibly.

Daniel led him over to the food tables and after carefully scrutiny, they took up small plates and began to pick out some food. From their vantage point they could get a good look at the other guests. Danial whistled low under his breathe.

“They really went all out this year. I wonder how they even got some of these people to attend!” Daniel said. Adrian had to agree. There was the usual smattering of human practitioners, fae, shapeshifters and high elves but every now and again there was something so extraordinary that it seemed unreal. A powerfully build man walked passed them, a long tawny lion tail waved out from his suit jacket and a pair of goat horns protruding from his broad forehead.

A chimera.

Trying not to be caught staring the two humans shuffled off to one side, eating and sipping their drinks. A young man with red hair in his twenties saw them and came over. His name was Liam and he was local human practitioner with an affinity in ice magic. He had always been nice enough, one of the few that was little affected by the money and fame that came with being from an old family. He was a tad awkward, like he never got used to length of his own limbs. As it was, he nearly bumped into several people as he made his way over.

“Dan, good to see you man.” Liam said, grabbing and shacking Daniel’s hand once he had put down his empty campaign glass. It was whisked away not a second later by a passing waiter. Adrian leaned over and grabbed another glass. Dan grinned and gave Liam a brief shake.

“You too. I haven’t seen you for a while.” Daniel said. Liam laughed.

“You and everyone else. We had a baby girl three months ago. Hannah wanted to call her Sarah.” Up close, Adrian could see the circles under Liam’s eyes.

“That’s great news! Geez, better you then me” Daniel exclaimed, laughing. Some of Liam’s cheer dies away when his eyes fell on Adrian.

“Hey man. I heard about everything that happened. I’m really sorry about your folks. If there anything you need Hannah and I are around.” Adrian nodded, smiling weakly. He looked like he wanted to say more so Adrian cut him off.

“I take it Sarah’s not sleeping great?” They passed the time in small talk. A few much older magical practitioners came over to offer greeting and sympathies. Daniel kept the conversation going as much as possible even as Adrian retreated further into himself. He tried to concentrate on the good food and drink as much as possible.

“Mr Blackthorn, it’s good to see you finally decided to make an appearance. Honestly, it’s like we weren’t worth your notice these days.” Daniel lip curled and Adrian didn’t need to turn around to know who was talking. Simon Davis was man who was very much caught up in his own wealth power. He had an affinity in transfiguration. He always talked with a slight slur to his words and his airy tone had a habit of making it seem that he believed that he truly was, the only thing that was or could ever be of any true importance. He was the kind of man who mistook insults for wit. Dressed immaculately in a suit that probably cost more than the average low-income house Simon swaggered towards them.

Adrian drained the rest of his glass. It was his fourth drink and he was starting to feel a little fuzzy headed.

“And what do we owe this unpleasant visit?” Daniel growled. Daniel was blunt. He didn’t pretend to like people if he didn’t and Simon… well no one sensible person liked Simon. Simon used events like these to establish as many ties as he could with other magical families or species. In almost any way possible. Of course, many species didn’t really like humans all that much. Some were so high up in the hierarchy that humans were ‘beneath’ them.

“Come now young Daniel. Is the hostility really necessary? I only meant that we’ve all been very concerned about Adrian here.” Simon purred. He went to sling an arm around Adrian’s shoulders. Adrian’s own magic snapped into place without even being commanded and Simon’s arm bounced off an invisible barrier several inches away from Adrian’s body. Simon frowned, feigning hurt.

“Funny, I don’t remember you coming to visit.” Daniel sneered. Liam looked distinctly uncomfortable but edged away from Simon, intimidated. Liam really wasn’t much of a fighter.

“I didn’t realize you live with the young man.” Simon said, smirking.

“What do you want Simon?” Adrian sighed. Simon gave him a withering smile that made the hair on the back of Adrian’s neck stand on end.

“I was just inquiring on how you are and perhaps… if I may be so bold, as to ask what you intend to do with your father’s research?” Adrian blinked a few times. He might be imagining it but he thought he could hear Daniel grinding his teeth together. Adrian’s father had done a great deal of research into the magical world and those who inhabited it. He did this not by outside observation but by forming relationships with some of the oldest creatures in the world. His work had become quite well known but mostly unpublished. It had taken literally generations of the Blackthorn family to build the friendships that had been created and Adrian’s father had nothing but respect for the cultures he studied.

Adrian really hadn’t thought much about it. The expectation was probably that he should continue with his father’s work but doing so felt almost… insulting?

“I haven’t decided.” Adrian said finally. Simon’s blue eyes were glittering, like a carrion crow spotting something dead worth eating.

“Truly? Well that is to bad. Such research is highly sort after. I would of course be willing to help you sort through it…” Daniel was definitely grinding his teeth together now.

“When I get to that stage I’ll let you know.” Adrian said flatly. Simon puffed himself haughtily, satisfied.

“Excellent. I’ll be in touch. Take this for me would you good fellow.” He handed his empty wine glass to Liam and swaggered off, leaving them gapping. Whether he had mistook Liam for a waiter on purpose was debateable. 

“I’m going to set him on fire.” Daniel decided. Liam baulked.

“Don’t.” Adrian sighed.

“Just a little. A small flame. His tie. Or eyebrows.”

“No.” Adrian said again. This night was exhausting and they had barely been there for an hour.

“Adrian Blackthorn.” He looked up, so did Daniel, ready to jump in. But he need not have. Adrian felt his shoulders sag a little. The man and woman in front of him were like something out of a fairy tale. They dressed in gold and white, like true members of the royal family. In a sense they were. This was Dumitru and Mariana Iliescu. They were a mated pair and they were both dragons. They both had gold eyes, salt caramel coloured hair and bronze skin. Many supernatural creatures aged differently to humans but dragons were almost ageless. He knew they were both at least four hundred years old, though neither looked hardly older then early thirties. They had also both been very close friends of his family.

Liam stared at the both of them in complete shock, still holding Simon’s wine glass. Adrian noticed that Simon froze in his retreat, head turned back around to watch with wide envious eyes. Adrian wasn’t surprised by their reactions. Humans did not approach a dragon for conversation. It would be like walking up to the queen of England. The little group stood in silence for a several tense seconds. Then Mariana stepped forward and swept Adrian into a tight hug.

Adrian nearly lost it. He had been relatively composed the entire night so far. Tears bit into the corners of his eyes. He squeezed them shut, not wanting to embarrass himself. Her perfume was like hot sand and lilacs.

“I’m so very sorry.” She said, her voice deep and thick with sadness Adrian knew she genuinely felt. Dumitru placed a hand on Adrian’s shoulder and squeezed gently.

“There is nothing you could have done.” Adrian murmured, hugging her back. She drew back a little, examining his pale worn face.

“We kept expecting to hear from you after the funeral but we never did. What happened?” She asked.

“Everything took a lot of… processing. I moved. Got a new job. I just needed to… learn how to function properly again.” He explained weakly. He felt guilty about not contacting them. They had been his parent’s closest friends, never mind their species. He knew Daniel would argue that he hadn’t really learnt to ‘function properly’ as it was.

“And now?” She asked softly. Adrian didn’t meet her gaze.

“I thought it would get easier.” His voice was little more then a whisper now. He felt like a small dumb kid rather then the heir to one of the countries most powerful magical bloodlines. She hugged him again.

“There is no right or wrong way to mourn sweet boy.” She cooed and he let himself be mothered for a while. It felt good. He missed being around older people as stupid as that sounded. He pulled himself together and stepped away clearing his throat. They were getting a lot of stares now.

“If you need anything you can always come to use.” Dumitru said. Adrian nodded. He could practically feel Simon’s eye drilling holes in the back of his head. There were humans that would literally pay billions to get in good with a dragon, let alone two such as the leaders of the Iliescu clan, not that Adrian gave a damn.

“And call us to let us know how you are?” Mariana added. He nodded again.

“I will. Thank you.” He responded, feeling a little lighter. Together, the two mated dragons dipped their heads to him and he dipped his in return. They turned and made moved away.

“You know the Iliescu’s?” Liam breathed. He had been standing there completely awestruck the entire time. Daniel rolled his eyes.

“They were close friends with my parents.” Adrian said, feeling tired.

“Can we go for a walk? I really don’t want to talk to Simon again.” He muttered. Simon certainly looked like he wanted to come back over now that the dragons were gone. The two said their goodbyes to Liam who was still gawking at him before Daniel and Adrian cut their way through the crowd. The conference always officially began with the opening speeches and Adrian really didn’t want to be there for them. He was almost sure they would ask him to come up and say a few words and Adrian was positive he would rather jump in front of a bus. There was the sound of a metal fork tapping against a crystal wine glass. The chatter died away.

“Come on.” Adrian dragged Daniel out of the main hall and upstairs onto the balconies, snagging another drink along the way.

“Not interested in speeches?” Daniel joked, poking him the ribs.

“Fuck. No.” Adrian growled. Daniel laughed.

“Looks like we aren’t the only ones.” Daniel said, nodding to a group on the balcony with them. The view out here was gorgeous if a little chilly. Large outdoor heaters had been set up to help. The cold was worth it for the spectacular view of the city that was providing. The lights of the city winking in golds, red, blues and whites. Adrian blinked, his eyes a little out of focus.

He felt… odd. Tipsy, yes but something else. Something strange.

Adrian moved towards the group of people. From their bizarre aura he knew they weren’t humans. Something seemed to be pulling him along as though he were on an invisible string. It was palpable. He needed to go over there and he didn’t know why he needed to go over there.

“Adrian?” Daniel grabbed his arm and Adrian had the vague impression that wasn’t the first time his friend had called his name.

“You okay man?” He asked. Adrian just kept staring straight ahead. He gave an insouciant shrug. To their mingled surprise a figure split the little group up and came towards them. It was a man and their first impression were that he looked most annoyed indeed. He had handsome profile with dark skin, black hair and distinctly orange eyes. His face was scrunched in a sort of confused anger, his stride swift and aggressive. He walked right up to Adrian who just stared in confusion. The man poked him hard in the chest. The brief contact caused a jolt like the kind you would get from static carpet.

“You. Who are you?” The man demanded. His voice was deep and his accent was faintly South African. Daniel stepped forward.

“Why don’t you just take a step back there buddy.” Daniel growled. The man turned to Daniel and let out a bone chilling hiss, long fangs dropped from the roof of the man’s mouth. Suddenly Adrian knew what they were looking at.

A naga.

Like dragons, nagas and naginis were considered old world creatures, rare and powerful and what the fuck did this guy want? Maybe it was because Adrian was now more then a little drunk but he didn’t care. He shoved passed Danial and tilted his chin up.

“My name is Adrian Blackthorn and who the fuck are you?” He snapped, his speech only a touch slurred. The naga stared at him as though he had grown additional heads. Utter disbelief was a good description for the man’s face. It was almost funny or maybe that was just the alcohol talking. Daniel looked uneasy. The use of magic was strictly forbidden during the conference but a naga was a heavy hitter. Chances were most spells and hexes would just bounce off the creature.

“You’re human.” The naga said, stating the obvious.

“And?” Adrian said.

“You’re human!” The naga snapped, as though repeating himself somehow made more sense. Adrian glanced at Daniel who shrugged.

“Yes…” Adrian replied. The naga shook his head angrily.

“This can’t be right. You can’t be human! This is a joke.” The creature snarled, showing more fang.

“It is starting to sound like it on account that I have no idea what you are talking about.” Adrian snapped. The naga lashed out, grabbing hold of Adrian’s hand and holding it up. In response to the lightning fast movement Daniel snapped his fingers, summoning a ball of fire to his palm.

“Let go of him.” Daniel growled. Around them, people had stopped talking though they could still hear the speeches going on the level below.

“Can you see it!?” The naga hissed. Adrian wasn’t looking at Daniel. His eyes were wide as he stared at his hand. He could see it.

“Is that…” Adrian croaked.

“All night I’ve been following the source and it’s you. That isn’t possible.” The naga was almost shouting now. Daniel was frowning. Adrian felt dizzy. It wasn’t possible. But there it was.

Wrapped like tiny golden threads between his fingers and the naga’s, was a mate bond.

\--

END

\--


	3. Snake Fangs and Medicine

\--

Chapter Three  
Snake Fangs and Medicine

\--

It wasn’t possible. Interspecies mate bonds just didn’t happen. Werewolves mated with werewolves and made baby werewolves. Fae paired with fae. Dragons mated other dragons. Humans married humans.

But this?

This wasn’t possible.

“Is that what I think it is!?” Daniel squawked, the flames dying in his hands. Adrian couldn’t get he words out of his mouth.

“What did you do to make this happen?” The naga demanded. Adrian baulked.

“Me? How the hell could I do this? How did this even happen!?” Adrian blurted. The man ripped his hand away from Adrian’s, leaving his palm feeling strangely tingly.

“That is what I would like to know.” On a different day, in a completely different setting, Adrian might have found the man’s South African accent attractive, now it only made him think that he really should have stayed at home. Did Lyndall know this was going to happen? Was that why she was so insistent that he be here?

“Go find Lyndall.” Adrian heard his own voice say.

“No need. I’m here.” A female voice said. Lyndall had come up the stairs with several people behind her. Apparently, their near fight had drawn more attention then he had first thought. Mercifully, the speeches were still going on down in the main hall. Lyndall was smiling.

“You knew this would happen.” Adrian snapped. Instantly he wished he had kept his mouth shut. The naga’s head whipped around and he went for Lyndall. Throwing caution to the wind Adrian coiled his own magic and threw up a barrier between the charging naga and his best friend. The man slammed into like a dog into a glass sliding door. A few people laughed as the creature staggered back in shock.

“That’s quite enough Owethu, you are causing a scene.” A shapely woman appeared beside the irate naga. By her almost identical dark skin tone, orange snake eyes and accented tone, she was clearly a relative.

“Do not mock me sister!” The man hissed. She looked utterly unconcerned by his rage.

“Put your fangs away brother before you cause our clan public disgrace.” The nagini snipped, smacking away her brother’s hand as he went to push her.

“Perhaps we could all settle for some coffee and a nice chat.” Lyndall suggested mildly. The nagini eyed Lyndall up and down for a few moments.

“Well at least one someone here has some sense.” The woman sighed. The group was tense. Several of the staff had alerted the guards. People in uniform escorted them to a separate room, away from the rest of the conference. Daniel sat on one side of Adrian and Lyndall on his other. Three nagas sat across from them. A nervous waiter with shacking hands brought them cups of steaming coffee. Adrian was quickly sobering up.

He was feeling queasy again and this time it had nothing to do with the nerves about the conference. The tension in the room was thick enough to taste. Daniel was completely immobile in his chair. He could have been carved from stone. If Daniel was stone, then the naga named Owethu was marble. His sister sighed noisily as she stirred sugar into her coffee. 

“Well this isn’t getting us anywhere.” She said. Adrian didn’t know what to say. What could he say? He couldn’t explain this. He glanced helplessly at Lyndall. She sat silently with a polite smile on her face.

“Is there any sort of hex of curse that could make itself look like a mate bond?” Adrian asked finally to the room at large, needing to say something to break the silence. The woman shook her head.

“Look like, perhaps, feel like, perhaps, but not both. Do you have many enemies Mr Blackthorn? Anyone who might place a curse on you?” She asked, cradling her coffee cup.

“Probably.” Adrian said. Plenty of people would like the secrets his family held. His father’s research alone had probably attracted a lot of attention since his passing. Owethu snorted angrily.

“He is a boy, little more then a hatchling.” The naga sneered. Adrian’s good manners weren’t quite up to this so he settled for glaring.

“Lyndall, can you see anything?” He ground out. Everyone looked at her. The nagas frowned.

“I am gifted with fate, this is true but the future is not splayed out in a straight line. This isn’t a children’s cartoon. I can’t tell you why this has happened, only that it had to and it will need to continue in the better interest of you both.” Lyndall said cryptically.

“Yeah, I don’t see that happening.” Daniel growled. The nagini shrugged her shoulders.

“A mate bond is a serious thing. It can’t be ignored.” She said

“But if it is not a real mate bond then it could be.” Owethu added.

“And if it is real?” Lyndall asked, smiling almost slyly.

“How could it be!? He is human! Fragile, weak, a mere child. This creature is not and could never be mated to me.” Owethu stood up so quickly the chair nearly tipped over backwards. He stalked from the room. The third silent naga followed, leaving the woman behind. She sighed.

“Give him time. My brother is stubborn. Here is my number. You may find yourself needing it.” She handed over a glossy black business card to Adrian before she too, swept from the room, leaving him dumbstruck.

“I don’t need this.” Adrian said weekly. He didn’t mean the card. Lyndall smiled and he shot her a dark look.

“Don’t tell me this was for the best. I don’t want to hear it. I’m done Lyndall. I want to go home.” He didn’t care if he sounded sulky. His head pounded. It was then that he realized his hands were shaking. He was exhausted, confused and oddly… hurt. That was of course ridiculous. So what if some naga thought him incapable? He didn’t even know the man.

No.

The best thing for him to do was to go home and try to forget he was ever at this damn conference.

\--

Adrian slept very poorly that night. Even worse then usual. Daniel had been furious with Lyndall. It had taken so long to convince Adrian to leave the house and now there was a good chance he wouldn’t leave it again for a long time. The drop off was deeply uncomfortable. Lyndall was pouting, Daniel was trying not to smoke his own clothes with his anger and Adrian just wanted to shower and put this whole night behind him.

He knew Lyndall meant well but he was still angry with her. Had she really known that was going to happen? After two hours of staring up at the ceiling, Prince purring against his side he had fallen into a troubled sleep full of flames, elongated faces, melting sidewalks, crunching metal and screaming, screaming… screaming.

“Well, you look like shit.” Marcel Taylor was leaning against one of the freshly painted walls. Adrian didn’t bother to answer as he adjusted the spotlight.

“A little to the left.” He added. Adrian moved the spotlight to the left.

“My left.” Adrian moved it back. He climbed stiffly down the ladder, his joints protesting. He hadn’t slept in two days. Thankfully his little ‘incident’ hadn’t made the news but he was waiting for it, like a bomb dangling overhead. He had four missed calls from Simon Davis. How the irritating bastard had managed to get Adrian’ personal mobile number he didn’t know.

“The labels aren’t up yet.” Marcel noted. Adrian fought the urge to roll his eyes.

“I noticed.” He sniped.

“Touché.”

“Is there anything else I can fix for you Mr Taylor? If not, I will go back to drawing up the floor plan for the show.” The painter regarded him thoughtfully for several moments.

“You know… you look sort of familiar.” Marcel cocked his head to one side, inspecting Adrian as though he were a horse for sale.

“That is unsurprisingly. I co-hosted the group show six months ago that your work was also featured in.” Adrian replied trying to sound as casual and monotone as he could. Marcel frowned. Finally, thankfully, he shrugged and walked to the exit.

“I’ll see you at the opening then.” Marcel said without looking back. Adrian didn’t respond to this and instead, folded the ladder up and carried it back to the storage room. Once inside he closed the door and let out a long slow breath. He wasn’t coping very well. He hadn’t responded to either Danial or Lyndall’s texts. He didn’t even go to class this morning, instead listening to the lecture online. The problem was that the lack of asleep wasn’t the main concern. He was used to feeling exhausted, as sad as that was to say.

No.

The first trickle of concern had been the morning after the conference when Adrian had gone to make a coffee. The mug was repelled as though it were magnetic and his hand was the wrong poll. It had flown away from his hand and smashed violently into the tiled splashback of his kitchen. He had stared at it, dumbstruck.

He had chalked it up to an unstable flair in his magic due to stress and lack of sleep. He fixed himself some tea instead, ate a crumpet topped with jam and took a nap. He felt a little better afterwards and just thought about making lunch when he got another nasty shock. He went to grab the door handle of the fridge but his fingers bounced off an invisible barrier.

His invisible barrier. 

Somehow his magic was leaking from him and shields were popping up around innate objects that he touched or passed. His own protective wards that shielded his house hummed and pulsed as though waxing and waning. He didn’t know what to think.

He picked up an apple from the fruit bowl and tried to place it in its own shield. A semi-transparent sphere bubbled up around the apple. It glistened briefly and then shattered, like thin ice in early autumn. Adrian stared down at the now unprotected fruit, shocked.

Usually he would call Lyndall but he was still angry enough to ignore her number all together and call the family doctor. Most hospitals and doctor’s offices had to have a couple of personal who were at least a little magic touched so they could treat any injuries that may have been caused by wayward spells, accidents or otherwise.

There was a knock on his front door about an hour after he had made the phone call. Adrian opened it to reveal an elderly man with a neatly trimmed beard, combed hair and pale blue eyes. He was dressed plainly and carried a doctor’s bag.

“Hi Doc.” Adrian greeted. Doctor Benson followed him inside, a slight frown creasing his features. They went into the kitchen and Adrian, not entirely sure where to start, started making tea.

“Adrian? It’s been a long time since I’ve made a house call. What can I do for you?” The man had a soft reassuring voice. He had been the Blackthorn family doctor since before Adrian was born. He had helped his mother deliver Jenny. Doctor Benson had given Adrian stitches when he was seven and fell off a tall fence he’s been climbing. He had come over when Adrian’s father had broken his collar bone after a particularly nasty tussle between two trolls had gotten out of control. He had always come when the family had called and Adrian couldn’t help but feel another twinge of guilt that he hadn’t called the old man to let him know he was okay after everything that had happened. He had certainly sounded shocked when he heard Adrian’s voice today.

“I’m hoping you can help me work out what’s wrong with me.” Adrian said. He didn’t meet the man’s eye, instead pouring the hot water into the two mugs.

“And what is it you think that is wrong?” The doctor asked, taking his mug with a nod of thanks.

“My magic seems to be… I don’t know, casting without my doing so.” He said, stirred in a teaspoon of honey into his own mug.

“To what degree and when did you first notice it?” Doctor Benson pulled out a pen and paper and started jotting down notes. Adrian hesitated. Then he conceded that if his parents had trusted this man, so could he.

“This morning. My shield spell has been attaching itself to inanimate objects. My house wards are powering up and down on their own. When I try to purposely cast, the spells don’t form properly. Have you ever heard of this kind of thing?” Adrian asked. Now that he said it out loud, the implications of loosing control of his own magic were more then just a little unnerving.

“Well, we will do a full physical anyway since it has been so long but lapse of control in one’s magic is not unheard of. Its never advised to practise magic if one is recovering from a concussion for instance. Pregnant woman can experience fluxes in their own magic as the baby develops. Extreme stress is also a factor…” Adrian winced. Doctor Benson raised a bushy eyebrow.

“How are you coping with everything stress wise?” He asked, his voice not unkind. Adrian shrugged.

“Fine. Keeping busy.” He mumbled. The doctor hummed. He started digging around in his bag. He took Adrian’s blood pressure, his temperature, checked his ears, eyes and throat and measured his height.

“I’m going to take some blood and run a few tests just to be on the safe side.” He said as he pulled out a butterfly syringe and tubing. Adrian nodded. He knew he needed to tell him about the night before.

“Hey Doc? There is more… uh.” Doctor Benson looked up expectantly.

“Yes?”

“Well I went to the conference last night and I met someone there. A naga actually. And… He said… Well I guess I saw it to so…” Adrian spluttered out.

“Saw what?”

“He said we were mates. As in, a fated mate bond.” He finished. Doctor Benson stared.

“But that can’t be true. I mean, we aren’t even the same species for starters so…” He was staring up at Doctor Benson with a desperate expression, as though needing the man to agree that it was ludicrous. He needed the man to say what Adrian desperately needed to hear, that his loss of magic control was not related to this supposed mate bond.

“I haven’t heard of a mate bond between a naga and a human.” Doctor Benson said and Adrian could hear the astonishment in his voice.

“What did it look like?” He asked. Adrian shrugged uncomfortably.

“Like gold threads of fishing line wrapping my aura to his.” He explained. The doctor nodded stoically.

“If it truly is a mate bond then it could be the cause to the disruption in magic. Fated mate bonds are some of the strongest and most ancient magic in the world. They are not so common these days but this can’t be ignored. If you need each other than you need each other for a reason.” Doctor Benson said then added;

“Don’t look so worried. I have heard of some who a fated and though they completed the mate bond they went on to have separate families and lives. I’ll try and find a few of my old contacts. They might be able to help you with this. To be completely honest, the best source of information for this might be your father’s research. He spent over ten years, before he marred your mother, researching the more exotic supernatural species.” Adrian winced. All his father’s books were piled up in the library, still in packing boxes. He called it the library because the walls were lines with bookcases. And they were all empty. A loud mew made them both look up.

To Adrian’s surprise, Doctor Benson looked all the more dumbstruck as Prince came padding into the kitchen. The white cat leapt neatly onto the bench and helped himself to Adrian’s now cold mug of tea.

“I didn’t know you had a cat.” The man said. He was given Prince a deeply incredulous inspection.

“Urm… yeah. I sort of adopted him. He just turned up here a few months ago.” Adrian replied, utterly confused. Doctor Benson glanced at him.

“A few months ago, or after your family passed?” Adrian gawked.

“What?”

“Did you take him to the vet?” Doctor Benson asked, ignoring his question.

“I… well yes. He may have been here for a little longer then a few months. I did take him to the vet. He didn’t have a microchip on him or anything. Weirdly enough, they couldn’t tell me how old he was.” Adrian said, utterly bewildered as to why the family doctor was so interested in his cat. Prince purred loudly, licking tea off his wet front paw.

“Interesting…” The old man said.

“What?” Adrian’s question came out almost like a whine. The doctor shook his head.

“There may be another cause for all of this. I’m not saying anything more now, no, don’t ask me! Not until I do some digging but, in the meantime, I’ll run all the basic tests and you can look through your dad’s books on nagas. They may tell us something.”

“But-”

“I’ll ring as soon as I find anything.” Adrian was left annoyed and frustrated as the doctor took his blood, packed up his bag and waved him goodbye. He wished that he felt better but really the visit had raised more questions then had been answered.

Adrian had tried to get back into his normal routine after that but he was constantly distracted. And now he here he was, hiding in the storage room at the gallery, praying there wouldn't be any customers today. He knew work had been a bad idea. He was completely surrounded by incredibly expensive and fragile objects that his magic could at any given time, hurl into the nearest solid brick wall. The paint cans on a nearby shelf began to vibrate. Adrian groaned miserably.

“Adrian? Are you in here?” Gale called.

“Yeah.” He opened the door. She looked in at him

“Marcel is gone.” He added. She nodded.

“Thank god for that. Speaking of which, are you okay? You don’t have a once of colour to you.” She fussed. Adrian moved carefully back across the gallery floor towards the office. He tried to pretend that some of the plinths weren’t shifting even so slightly away from him.

“You know, I’m not really feeling a hundred percent.” He confessed finally. Maybe he needed a few days off to get all this under control. Seeing as he had almost never taken a sick day in his life, she would hardly say no.

“I can take my work laptop home, finish the floorplan and send it back to you.” He added. Gale frowned.

“I can take care of that. You go home and rest.” Adrian shook his head.

“We have three new interns this week. You have too much to do already. The floorplan will be easy. Besides, I’ll get bored just sitting on the couch.” He argued. He scooped up his laptop and charging cable. Gale sighed but nodded, knowing there wasn’t much point in arguing. He was much better with computers then she was anyway.

The bus ride home was uncomfortable. He put his headphones in and strained to listen to his music. He had been trying to ignore the growing feeling of heaviness in his chest. It was an odd unpleasant sensation, like knowing that you’ve forgotten something important when stepping out of the house. It weighed on him, nagging at his consciousness like its own living thing. He hadn’t heard from doctor Benson but it had only been two days.

Once home, he placed his laptop down on the coffee table. He was just considering ordering a pizza for dinner when his house wards flared to life. There was something powerful near the property. The hair rose on the back of his neck as there was a knock on the door.

Well, less of a knock and more like a thundering banging. Even before Adrian opened it he knew who would be on the other side of the door. He walked over slowly. He closed shacking fingers around the brass door handle and turned the knob. On the other side stood the naga, Owethu.

“We need to talk.” The naga hissed.

\--

END

\--


	4. Cooperation and Coercion

\--

Chapter Four  
Cooperation and Coercion

\--

It had taken more effort than he had expected to find where the human lived. Apparently, the human had moved house since the passing of his clan, choosing a residence half way across the city. Trying to find it using magic had proved useless.

That alone was fascinating. Not many humans could create wards strong enough to make them invisible to screening. His first thought to find the boy was to simply to put in an enquiry with a few of the other elitist human practitioners. The response he received was unexpected. This particular human wasn’t like many of the other practitioners Owethu had the displeasure of meeting. Apparently, he wasn’t interested in the social events or parties hosted by the high elite. Still, the boy was so young it could just be he had wished to wait before immersing himself in the culture. But somehow Owethu didn’t think so. Even in their brief meeting he sensed no arrogance in the boy in the same way he had with many other elite humans.

At first Owethu had wanted to believe that the boy had caused this insanity. He wanted to believe it so strongly that for the first few days he refused to hear anything else of it. But the more his sister wedeled at him the more he had to consent. The look of complete shock on the boy’s face had been genuine. The mate bond was just as much as an anomaly to the human as it was to Owethu.

The deep seeded unrest that had settled in his guts since discovering the mate bond drove him to near madness. He couldn’t focus on a damn thing except that stupid human. So, he had reached out with his contacts, paid sums of money to the right people in hope of finding out where this Adrian Blackthorn lived. He would work out why this had happened and what, if anything, he could do to rectify it. So here he was.

Again, he was a little stunned.

The house was old but well built. Far from the expensive contemporary apartments or penthouses in the heart of the city Owethu had seen, this residence was hidden in the suburbs. There was jasmine crawling up one side of the neat brick two-story house. The front garden was blooming with primrose and daises. A soft cream picket fence went around the front English cottage style garden. There was a chimney which emitted soft puffs of smoke. Long white curtains hid the inside of the house from prying eyes.

As Owethu stepped onto the little cobblestone foot path leading to the heavy oak front door, he felt the house’s wards. His skin prickled and his eyes widened. The wards were immensely complicated and far more powerful then he had expected. Surely, they were cast by someone else. With his inner sight he could see the shining weaving symbols of the wards, cascading in bright yellow sigils from foundations to roof tile. This must have been done by many spells castors. No one boy could have created them… surely not. He composed himself and quickly glanced himself over the in reflection of one window before promptly knocking (rather aggressively) on the door.

Adrian had opened it, apprehension in his young face. They both stood looking at each other for several moments.

“We need to talk.” Owethu stated the obvious. From the inside of the house came the scent of rose wood polish, cinnamon and coffee rinds. The scent of his supposed mate was warm and somehow familiar to him. The naga found himself taking deep long breaths of it.

“I know.” Adrian replied. The boy sounded tired. He looked tired too. There were dark circles under the boy’s eyes and he was pale as parchment.

“May I come in?” Owethu grunted. To his shock and annoyance, the boy shook his head.

“No.” came the simple reply. The naga grit his teeth. He could not force his way in. The wards were far to strong. If he tried he would probably be hurled violently back into the road by the living wall of protective magic that surrounded the residence.

“There is a good coffee house not far from. It stays open late most nights. Give me an hour and we can meet there.” Well, at least it could be said the boy wasn’t stupid. Owethu supposed it would be rather unintelligent for the human to let a naga into his house, especially considering in their one other meeting Owethu had nearly attacked him.

“It’s called the White Olive. I’ll be there soon.” Adrian said. The naga looked disgruntled but gave a curt nod.

“Very well.” He said gruffly. He turned on his heel and stepped back out into the street trying to ignore the way the wards crackled behind him.

\--

Adrian closed the door a little shakily. He didn’t need to peak through the window to know that the man was gone. The wards around the house told him so. Still, he was both worried and a little disturbed that the naga had found out where he lived. Adrian certainly never advertised that he lived here and only Danial and Lyndall ever visited him.

Prince came up and rubbed against his leg. He picked up his cat, stroking the purring face. He carried the little white cat into his bedroom. He considered for a moment just not going but that would be stupid not to mention childish. If the naga knew where he lived he could just very well come back. A cold shiver of fear went through him as he thought of the naga turning up at the gallery in broad daylight. That would not be fun to deal with.

With a great deal of reluctance Adrian had a shower, shaved and got dressed. He paused in the threshold one last time before closing the front door behind him and setting off.

He chose the White Olive for several reasons. First off, they had particularly good coffee here. Secondly it was busy. Not so busy that one could not hear one’s own conversation but busy enough that hopefully a bad tempered naga would not risk making a scene in full public view.

The two men sat tensely across from one another as a young waitress came over to them. Adrian picked up the menu and glanced down at it. It was then that he came to the rather embarrassing realization that he didn’t even know if naga ate regular human food. He remembered that nagini had ordered a coffee at the conference but he couldn’t actually remember her drinking it…

“I’ll have a regular latte, extra hot and extra foam.” The naga said gruffly. The waitress smiled and glanced at Adrian.

“Of course, anything for you?” She asked him brightly.

“Small cappuccino please.” He said. She nodded and whisked away. It was getting late in the evening. He briefly watched the bustle of cars outside. The little café had a lot of customers waiting for their caffeine fix.

“I honestly don’t know what to tell you. I can’t explain this.” Adrian said finally, breaking the silence. He risked a glance at the naga who, to his surprise, nodded.

“I know. Neither can I.” Said the man. He seemed to hesitate for a moment and then slowly reached forward, placing his hand on the table and then looked expectantly at Adrian. Adrian copied him.

The two watched in fascination at the delicate gold cords that moved from Adrian to Owethu and back. Adrian dared to move his hand closer until their fingers almost touched. It was like watching electricity in physical form. They twinkled and pulsed, dancing as they entwined between them.

“Have you ever seen a mate bond before?” Adrian asked. They both looked up as the waitress came back with their coffee, Owethu snatching his hand back like Adrian had pinched him. Adrian thanked the woman and scooped his cup close. The smell of the drink was familiar and comforting. He watched with interest as Owethu took a sip of his own.

Nagas drank coffee. Well there you go.

“Yes. A long time ago. True mate bonds are considered an oddity these days.” The naga said and now that he was calm, his deep lilted accent was definitely more attractive then threatening. Adrian nodded slowly.

“I had heard something similar. Have you even heard of one happening between two different species?” He asked. He sighed when Owethu shook his head.

“No.”

“Yeah I didn’t think so. My father did a great deal of research on super natural species. I haven’t had a chance to go through his research yet but there might be something there.” Adrian offered. The naga nodded.

“It would be a start.” Owethu replied.

“Can you ask anyone in your clan?” Adrian tried. He was surprised by the violent change in Owethu’s expression. His eyes flashed, his firm lips turned down in a scowl and he gave a low hiss.

“No.” He nearly spat. Adrian blinked, unsure of what he had said to offend. 

“Humans may find mate bonds romantic but my clan would see it as a weakness. They would see you as a weakness. I hold the rank of caporegime amongst my clan. Nagas do not live peacefully amongst each other. We live in a strict rank of power. I would be challenged over and again if it came out that I had a human for a mate.” The man said. To stop himself from staring, Adrian drank more of his coffee.

“Nagas live together only out of necessity to protect ourselves from other invading supernatural creatures that seek to steal our territory or hunt us. We are not what you would call, a family unit. There is almost no bond, even between siblings.” Owethu said. Adrian nodded slowly to say he understood. Honestly, he thought that was sad. Adrian had loved his family dearly. He couldn’t imagine growing up to hate them. He supposed snakes in the animal world did not live in family groups so nagas probably didn’t particularly like to either.

He watched as Owethu drank his own coffee. The sun was going down in the distance and soft orange street lights were flickering on. It was still relatively early but the sun went down sooner in the colder months. Adrian wasn’t usually worried. It was a safe enough neighbourhood and his own shield had never failed him before.

At least until this weekend.

That thought made him particularly uncomfortable. The two sat there for a while. He wanted to ask more questions but the naga seemed short tempered and Adrian wasn’t sure he wanted to risk upsetting him again.

“When can you go through you father’s research?” The naga asked. If Adrian didn’t know any better, he would have thought the other man was sulking. The naga’s shoulders were hunched and he glared at any human that passed their small table. People were giving them a wide birth. Most people didn’t need to have magic in their blood to instinctually recognise a predator. Though, if not for the dangerous energy he gave off, the orange snake eyes were a decent hint to stay away.

“Tomorrow.” Adrian murmured.

The naga gave a grunt.

“Fine. Take my number. Call me when you find something.” Adrian pulled out his phone and Owethu rattled off a series of numbers.

“So… umm…” Adrian said awkwardly. He had a lot more questions he wanted to ask. He wanted to ask if Owethu felt the same odd ache in the chest as he did. He wanted to know if the naga could think straight in those quitter hours. He wanted to know if this bond was affecting them both or if Adrian just losing his mind. The other man rose from his chair.

“The sooner we get this sorted out, the sooner I can put this mess behind me.” Adrian felt a sharp lance of pain through his chest at those words.

“And that’s all this is for you. A mess.” Adrian said. He knew he should have said nothing when the man whipped around, his pupils constricting.

“What else would this be?” The naga hissed. Adrian didn’t answer him. The naga’s lip curled in a look of disgust that he was fast becoming accustomed to.

“I am not interested in being your substitute family. Nagas don’t adopt pets. We eat them.” Owethu snarled. This time Adrian stood up. He couldn’t keep the look of hurt from his eyes even as he snapped out his reply.

“Fuck you.” Adrian left both the coffee shop and the naga behind him. He half expected Owethu to come after to him but he didn’t. As he walked the rage he felt from the naga’s words morphed into a hollow sort of grief. He was painfully aware of his loneliness this last year. There were days when it was like a truly physical thing, squeezing him on the inside until he thought he would just shut down, like his heart and lungs would just stop functioning. He felt like a leech relying so heavily on Danial and Lyndall. Over the months he called them less and less. He knew they wanted him to heal but he just didn’t know how.

He felt like someone outside of himself, a strange trying to use masking tape to tape up a gigantic hole in a brick wall. He would add piece after piece, trying to mend the damage but all it seemed to take was one sharp comment or careless nudge to remind him of just how fragile that tape was. He was barely holding himself together.

As he walked down the street, the wind blew garbage towards him and his magic, flaring out of his control, threw the garbage away again. Lyndall had said that Owethu and Adrian needed each other. What if this was permanent? What the one person in the world who was fated to him was this naga? Could Adrian go through the rest of his life bound to someone who hated him.

The walkways blurred a little and it took a particularly hard gust of cold wind for Adrian to realize his cheeks were wet. Was this the world’s way of balancing itself? Adrian’s hands shook as he tried to get the key in the front door.

The house was dark inside. He didn’t bother turning any of the lights on. His body on automatic, Adrian fed Prince and stripped out of his clothes. He skipped dinner and crawled into his bed, pulling the covers up and hugging his pillow. He settled in for another exhausting sleepless night and as he closed his eyes the last thought to go through his mind was a simple one.

I should have been in that car with my family.

\--

Adrian stepped into the library at four in the morning, all pretence of sleeping abandoned. If he wasn’t able to sleep then he could at least try and find the right book. He tried to ignore the dismal silence of the large empty house. He starred around at the piles of boxes, all containing volumes of his father’s work. He wasn’t even sure where to start. He had been avoiding this for so long. Adrian supposed he could unpack these boxes and search at the same time.

He carefully cut open one large box and opened the lid. Instead were several hardcover black leather journals, each labelled, dated and signed by his father, Richard Blackthorn. There was that smell of ink and old paper. His throat went tight at the sight of his father’s neat scrawl. Not really knowing how to sort them yet, he just put the volumes onto one of the numerous free shelves. The next box containing a series of hardcover red books. These too were signed by his father. Adrian went slowly. He could at least put the same coloured journals together but so far, didn’t have the courage to actually open and read any of them.

The next box contained several impressive volumes of reference material. These he felt were safe to read as they weren’t written of published by his father. He picked out a few interesting looking titles and brought the pile over to his empty desk. The small glimmer of intrigue and hope quickly died however when he opened the first volume to find it written completely in German. He closed it and moved onto the second. This one was old and discoloured.

And written in Chinese.

Adrian groaned. There was a soft clatter as Prince leapt up onto one of the free book shelves to look down at him curiously. Adrian gave the cat a few pets before reaching for another text. The next book was blissfully in English but only provided a short history of supernatural creatures native to Northern Europe from the sixteenth century onward. There was not a single word of nagas in it. Adrian groaned louder and rubbed his face, his eyes itchy.

“Coffee.” He grumbled. His stomach ached, reminding him that he hadn’t eaten anything substantial the day before. He went into the kitchen and dug out a microwave dinner. He preferred to cook but right now he honestly didn’t have the energy. He chucked it in the microwave and made himself a coffee while he waited. He carried his prizes back to the library and popped a warm, slightly soggy carrot into his mouth. It was going to be a long morning.

It was well and truly daylight before Adrian finally found a book that could be considered helpful. He actually found about an hour in but left it off to one side. It was written not by Richard Blackthorn but by Carvell Blackthorn, Adrian’s grandfather. The title, Uxoriae Consuetudinem, had caught his attention. His Latin was a little rusty but every spell castor was taught it. In simple translation the book was called Courtship Rituals.

He had left it on the shelf, distracted, when his magic had decided to grab a small volume on troll subspecies and throw it out the library door and down the hallway. Adrian growled to himself as he stomped after it. He was trying very hard not to remember that at the café with Owethu, his magic had not acted up even once.

He came back to the abandoned book sometime later. The pale blue cover was a little faded and the pages a little dog eared but in all, it was still in good condition. He flicked through the book. Each chapter was beautifully illustrated. His grandmother had apparently drawn the images and his grandfather had written the text. He stared for a long time at a picture of two fae, their foreheads pressed together, flowers intricately drawn around as a boarder.

His grandfather had neat small print and Adrian opened the curtain to let more light in so he wouldn’t have to squint. Prince was noisily licking the inside of the container that had housed his rather pathetic dinner/breakfast. Adrian turned the pages, only reading a handful of words of each page. He smiled gently at the image of two werewolves, in full wolf form. The two horse sized wolves were laying side by side, the she-wolf lovingly licking her mate’s muzzle. His stomach did a little flip when he came to what he was looking for.

It flipped. And then it twisted.

The illustrated image of a naga and nagini filled the two pages. Their torsos, necks and heads were human but their bodies from the waist down was a mass of thick python like coils. The coils wove in, over and around each other. What was more shocking still was that they did not look at each with love or adoration.

The snake like people were snarling at each other, lips pulling back to expose unhinged jaws of sharp long fangs. Forked tongues waved a foot from their gaping mouths and their eyes were narrowed and dead looking. There were slash marks over the breasts of the female and deep bloody cuts on the male’s back from their long sharp clawed fingers. Even their coiled tails which were bound in mating looked to be trying to squeeze the life out of each other.

This…

This was how nagas mated? He remembered what Owethu had said, that nagas had no affection for family and by extension, their mates. It took a long time for Adrian to look away from the gruesome imagine and find the attached text.

“For centuries the naga and nagini have lived primarily outside of human interaction. Seen as neither benevolent nor malevolent, these creatures generally do not intermingle with humans. Their image can be seen in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. They are an ancient species, predating early humans by several thousand years. Their true origins are widely unknown though it is believed from local human iconography, that the species was birthed in the warmer climates close to the equator such as North African, Arabia, India and the Indonesian Islands.

Though rarely observed by humans, their courtship rituals are long and bloody. Blood magic is used to mate two powerful individuals together. It is not unusual for the species to experience a cull during mating seasons as the pair can often kill one another in their deep-set instinct to fight and establish strength and rank. As a result, to make up for the heavy death toll, nagini often have broods of up to ten offspring at a time. The species has strengthened as a result over thousands of years. The scales are almost as impenetrable as dragon hide. They are also immune to all known toxins, poison, venoms and acids.

Unlike most reptiles, naga and nagini can produce their own body heat like mammals though how they accomplish this is still widely debated. They can stay immersed under water for up to half an hour and their diet, though largely omnivorous, does have a heavy requirement for meat.”

Adrian stared down at the book. The book went on with some more general facts about the species, where they were mostly found and how they choose their mates. The chapter was painfully brief and left him feeling a little sick. This book, had in short, explained what Adrian had already suspected. Even if, by some miracle, the naga could learn to be his fated mate, the odds were that any physical interaction at all could result in Adrian’s violent death.

He wasn’t sure what he had expected when he had gone looking for answers but a short response would have been… not this.

\--

END

\--


	5. Meetings and Mishaps

\--

Chapter Five  
Meetings and Mishaps

\--

Adrian tried to concentrate on his lecture. Really, he did. But he was not quite able to stop checking his phone every five minutes. He was expecting to hear back from his family doctor any day now. Daniel had timidly sent him a text that morning to ask how he was going. Adrian really hadn't known how to respond so he hadn't. He had a headache that was sitting right between his eyes and the long droning lecture seemed to be taking its own century.

He couldn't even remember what the subject matter for the day was supposed to be. Marxism verses public consumption of product? Something like that. Outside the weather was threatening to turn ugly. The cloud cover was low and heavy, the air almost unnaturally still. His phone buzzed, making him jump violently in his seat. The girl next to him jerked awake at the sound and blinked blearily around. The auditorium was so dark with the projector going that the visiting lecturer didn't seem to even notice that half students were comatose in their chairs. Perhaps he truly believed that they were enraptured into silence. Poor misguided fellow. 

Adrian glanced at his phone.

Daniel: How about we catch up for lunch? My shout, that burger place on the corner of your languages building?

Adrian stared down at the text message. His stomach rumbled at the thought of a large burger with the lot but it would come with the rather steep price of having to answer his friend's questions. He sighed quietly.

Adrian: Ok. Class ends in an hour.

Daniel: Cool. See you there. 

The hour crawled by. He almost considered sneaking out on pretences of a toilet break and just not coming back. Of course, that might have been a bit obvious considering he would have had to have taken his laptop and bag with him. Instead, he did his grocery shopping online for the week, double checked the floor plan for Marcel's exhibition and answered a few work emails. If nothing else, he got some work done for himself. As for his school work... well let’s just say he definitely wasn't going to be choosing Marxism for his topic of discussion in his thesis paper.

He gave a sigh of relief when the presentation ended. He stretched, rolling his shoulders and rubbing the ache that had formed in his neck. He packed his things away and was about to slip out the door when Hannah, one of the young women taking the same class, reached over the back of his chair and tapped him on the shoulder.

"Did you get a word of that?" She asked, her features tight was anxiety. He gave her a lopsided smile.

"Yeah, the good morning part. He lost me not long after that." He said. Hannah's face broke into a grin.

"Oh good. It wasn't just me then." She said. Adrian laughed a little dryly.

"It really wasn't." Her smile faded then and she hesitated, looking like she wanted to say something else. Adrian could guess what it was. He had only had a few shifts at the gallery these last two week but each time he had shown up, Gale had sent him home again. The last time she had become quite shoddy with him and announces if he turned up again this week she would send him hoke in literal irons. Apparently, he wasn’t taking his sick leave seriously enough. He didn’t dare tell the woman he still intended on going to class. Honestly, it had more to do with not wanting to stay in an empty house unable to sleep. He knew he looked like crap. He had even stopped going to the gym.

Well.

He stopped going after the second time he passed out.

“Well, I’m meeting a friend for lunch. I’ll see you next class.” He said, interrupting any prelude to a question about his shabby appearance. He practically fled from the class room at top speed.

\--

Adrian tried to ignore the eyes that were staring at him even as he hid behind his menu.

“Holy shit dude.” Daniel said finally. He winced.

“I look like crap.” Adrian surmised.

“That would be an understatement.” Daniel growled. Adrian sighed and put the menu down.

“I haven’t been able to sleep. I thought about taking something for it but that only made my magic more chaotic. I took a sleeping pill and woke up yesterday with all my clothes on the floor.” Daniel’s brows met together in a frown, not understanding. That had not been a fun morning. It had actually been Prince that had woken him up with a loud yowl. Since then Adrian had started to wonder if maybe his powers had thrown the fluffy little cat as well.

He winced and nodded down at the tabletop. The other mage followed his gaze. He reached for a teaspoon. The cutlery began to vibrate softly then clattered as though ordered to dance. Just as Adrian was about to touch it, it shot away from his fingers and off the edge of the table.

“The hell?” Daniel squawked.

“I had Doctor Benson come over two weekends ago and run a few tests. I’m hoping to hear back from him soon but from the initial conversation, it looks like I’m losing control of my magic because of the mate bond with Owethu.” Adrian explained wearily. A waitress came by, her berry flavoured perfume rather overpowering. They ordered their food and, feeling like he may as well do a proper job of it, Adrian also ordered a large vanilla milkshake to go with his burger.

He knew without looking that Daniel’s face was grim. The temperature in the room was creeping subtly upwards.

“Stop it. There’s no point in getting angry about it.” Adrian said. The fire mage was grinding his teeth together.

“I just wish I didn’t feel so bloody awful. It doesn’t seem to matter what I eat, I’m still starving.” Adrian muttered. Daniel frowned.

“Well its obvious why.” His friend said. Adrian looked up at him, frowning.

“It is?”

“Well clearly. Using magic drains the bodies reserves. Its always recommended that mages eat after work involving heavy spell casting.” Daniel said. The waitress came back with their food and drinks. Adrian put the straw of the milkshake to his lips and drank half of it down in a few hefty swallows.

“But I haven’t been doing any major spellcasting.” Adrian argued finally. Daniel snorted, watching as Adrian reached for a napkin and the bloody thing flew off the table away from him just as the spoon had.

“No, you have just been doing continuous small casting. You’re burning through your magic reserves and so the spells are eating through what’s left, your body.” Daniel said grimly. Adrian grimaced. He knew Daniel was right. In the last two weeks since the conference he had lost a startling amount of weight. He was very conscious of how loose his clothes were on his frame. He reached for his burger and took a bite.

“It this keeps getting worse you might start drawing the wrong kind of attention from the Magics Council.” Daniel added, lowering his voice. Adrian sighed.

“At this rate, I’ll be dead before my magic has a chance to hurt anyone.” He said bitterly. Daniel glared.

“Don’t say that. What about the naga? Surely this crap has to be affecting him too?” Adrian picked a piece of tomato off his bun and ate it.

“I’m not sure that it is. We met last week to talk about going through my dad’s research but I sort of… lost my temper and left. He hasn’t tried to contact me since.” He said, his cheek heating with embarrassment.

“What about your dad’s work? Have you found anything?” Adrian’s food was starting to feel more like an iron lump in his stomach.

“I did look. What I found wasn’t encouraging and nothing really new. Mate bonds are of the old magics. They are stupidly rare and they can’t be broken by anything short of the death of one of the individuals. They usually form with a purpose but from what I’ve read that purpose is different for every pair. I have no idea why fate has paired me with him.” Adrian admitted. He left out the part about the violent bloody sex that would most likely result in his death. As far as he knew, Daniel was straight and he really didn’t want the man to accidently set the table cloth on fire. It was already uncomfortably hot in here as it was.

“When is this doctor supposed to get back to you?” Daniel grumbled. 

“It was only supposed to take a few days but its taken a lot longer. Every time I ring I get his assistant but she told me to expect the call any day now.” He said.

“Lyndall is convinced that Owethu is important. She said that whatever it takes, you need to try and make it work with him. Honestly, I recon I just find out where this son of a bitch lives and see if these things are immune to fir-”

“Shut up.” Adrian snapped. A few people had started to stare.

Daniel sulked as he ate. They had their lunch in silence for a while. The waitress came back over to clear their plates and Daniel requested coffees. Adrian heaped a large portion of sugar into his. He felt mildly better with the food. He didn’t want to admit it, but Lyndall was probably accurate. He also didn’t like the idea of carrying a backpack of snacks around with him wherever he went. He was just about to take a sip of his coffee when his whole body tingled violently. He yelped as he splashed hot coffee over his hands.

“Shit, hang on.” Daniel reached across the table and stripped the heat from the drink with a snap of his fingers. The hair on Adrian’s arms were standing straight up, his nerves electrified in warning.

“Dude, what’s wrong?” Daniel interrupted. Adrian looked at him, eyes wide.

“Someone just tried to break through the wards at my house.”

\--

Daniel drove them back to Adrian’s house. Adrian knew that the wards had not fallen. If they had, the feedback would have been more intense. His first thought was Owethu but somehow that didn’t really make any sense. Why would the naga try to break into his house? If anything, the naga seemed to be doing everything in his power to avoid him. But then again, no one else really knew where he lived…

As the car pulled into the driveway it didn’t appear anything was amiss. They both got out cautiously. Daniel rolled his shoulders, his own magical signature rising just in case they needed the extra muscle. They weren’t like to need it. It took them twenty minutes to get back and the perpetrator was probably long gone.

The little white picket gate hadn’t been closed properly. Adrian stepped onto the little cobblestone path. There were indents on the dark wet grass alongside the path leading back to the road, as though someone had carefully followed the winding cobblestone to the front door and then ran haphazardly back again. He moved his fingers through the air, the wards coming to life in recognition of their master. Golds sigils glowed powerfully in his inner sight.

“Not a mark on them. Unsurprisingly. I think you could smash a truck into the side of this house and it would probably just bounce off.” Daniel grunted, studying the sigils with his own inner sight. Adrian’s wards were certainly not of the ordinary breed. Adrian walked to the front door and glanced down.

“Have a look at this.” He called. Daniel crouched down beside him. There was a slight scorch mark on the last cobblestone. He ran his fingers over it, feeling for residual magic.

“I can’t tell much. It’s the start of a spell but whoever was casting never got a chance to finish it. Probably the wards sensed the threat and fried him.” Daniel mused, rubbing his fingers together and sniffing at the dust on them. He looked at his friend then, brows furrowed.

“Your wards are pretty juiced up. Even more so then usual. Have you been doing that consciously?” He asked. Adrian shifted uncomfortably.

“No. Not really.” To avoid meeting Daniel’s concerned gaze, Adrian moved over to the window. There was another set of footmarks pressed into the damp grass. Someone had apparently tried to peer through the curtains. The prints were close together and shaped by a boot but even a quick glance was enough to tell him the owner’s feet were too small to belong to the towering naga.

“Do you think we should file a police report?” Daniel called over. Adrian shook his head.

“I don’t think so. What would we even be able to say? Whoever it was didn’t get in and there isn’t enough of their magic to properly trace them. Besides, I really don’t want the entire world to find out where I live once my name gets dropped at a police station.” Adrian said.

"I suppose it could have been coincidence. Some dumbass with a little magical ability saw this house and thought it might be a good target for an easy theft." Daniel mused. Adrian almost hoped that was the case... He gave a startled yelp when a furry white blur suddenly leapt up onto the window sill.

“You scared the crap out of me.” He snapped, jabbing a finger at the glass. Prince gave him the stink eye. Daniel came over.

“Is that… is that Prince?” Adrian frowned.

“Of course it is.” He replied. He was surprised to see that Daniel was staring at Prince much the same way as Doctor Benson had.

“What!?” Adrian snapped. Daniel shook his head.

“Nothing, its just… he looks really different.” He muttered. Adrian glanced back at his cat. Did he? He wasn’t over weight. Well, maybe a tiny bit tubby but he certainly wasn’t that bad. Daniel walked swiftly back over to the front door and was reaching for the handle before Adrian had turned.

“Wait, don’t!” He shouted.

But it was to late.

Daniel’s fingers had barely brushed the doorknob when the house wards roared to life. Adrian cursed as he friend was launched bodily across the front lawn and into the hedge with a painful sounding thump and the cracking of branches.

“Fucking hell!” Daniel howled. Adrian rushed over to help him up.

“What the actual fuck!? Your wards have always let me in before!” Daniel spat, wrenching his arm free of a particularly clingy tangle of thorns. Adrian bit his lip hard as he brushed wet leaves off Daniel’s clothes.

“I’m sorry. I swear I’m not doing this on purpose.” He groaned. Daniel shot him a nasty look.

“Right. This is getting ridiculous.” The fire mage barked. Adrian nodded.

“I’m going to call him. Owethu. I’ll call him now.” He dug out his phone.

“Fine. Stay in your damn house and for the love of the gods, don’t go to the gallery. At this point your spells might start throwing people instead of objects.” Daniel growled. Adrian’s shoulders slumped.

“Right.” He said, admitting defeat at last.

\--

After a few more well-placed threats, Daniel had left, heading to see Lyndall in the vague attempt that she might be able to help. Adrian doubted it but was at least glad to have his friend gone. By the time Daniel had finished yelling, one of the hedges had become rather singed as well as squashed.

Prince was being especially clingy despite being nudged away more then once. Adrian collapsed onto his couched and looked down at his phone. He didn’t have the faintest clue what to say. He took a deep breath and hit the call button.

“Who is this?” The deep voice with its South African lilt was instantly recognisable.

“Owethu, it’s Adrian Blackthorn. You gave me your number.” He said, feeling deeply uncomfortable. There was a pause on the end of the line. For half a heartbeat, Adrian thought the naga was going to just hang up on him.

“Yes. Have you found anything?” The male said finally.

“In regards to breaking the mate bond, no.” He didn’t know if he should mention that death would break the bond. Would the naga try to kill him? The image of the two nagas intertwining, going for each other’s throat was right in the forefront of his mind.

“It’s as I expected.” Owethu said curtly. Adrian reached for a pillow and had to bite back a snarl of frustration when the damn thing flew off the end of the couch. Again.

“We need to meet, talk about what to do next.” Adrian said firmly.

“Agreed. My schedule is full but we can meet sometime next week-”

“No.” Adrian snapped, losing his composure a little.

“Make time this week. Preferably tomorrow.” Again, there was a short pause.

“Fine. Tomorrow morning.” Adrian was a little surprised the naga actually agreed. Perhaps… perhaps this mess wasn’t just one sided after all.

“The White Olive, like before?” Adrian offered.

“Fine. By there at ten.” Owethu ended the call. Adrian groaned and flopped back on the couch.

Well. He certainly wasn’t going back to classes now.

\--

The little café was packed with people wanting their coffee and breakfast. Adrian picked the table furthest away from the counter and ruckus. He took his seat and decided that if this was going to work, then he would at least have to make a pretence of being civil. So, he ordered them both coffee and waited. He tried not to be annoyed that the naga was ten minutes late. He felt a rather disturbing pang in his chest when the man finally walked in, dressed impeccably in an expensive looking light grey suit. Honestly, who wear a suit to a café? Owethu made his way over to him and sat down just as the waitress brought their coffees. Owethu looked at his mug with an unreadable expression.

“You ordered a regular latte, extra hot with extra foam, right?” Adrian inquired. The man raised a finely sculptured eyebrow.

“You remembered my coffee order from two weeks ago?” The naga asked. Adrian shrugged.

“Small details stick well for me.” He picked up his cup and drank deeply. Owethu sipped at his own mug.

“You weren’t… You didn’t visit my house again, yesterday did you?” Adrian asked. The naga frowned.

“I did not. Why?” He rumbled. Well. It was a long shot.

“No real reason. Someone visited my house yesterday but didn’t leave a message.” He said vaguely. Owethu frowned. Adrian sighed. He had another headache again today. He was getting them daily now.

Owethu was well practiced at keeping his face expressionless. Nevertheless, he was shocked by how much the young human had changed. The loss of weight was noticeably even under the bulky jacket and dark jeans. There was no logical reason why he should care. Annoyingly, he found he did.

He had done a lot of research on Adrian Blackthorn since this whole mess started.

The first and most obvious fact he had discovered was that the boy came from a strong and ancient bloodline. The Blackthorn name had established ties with some powerful supernatural families. This included, which Owethu was not impressed to discover, the old dragon clan of the Iliescu. He heavily suspected that it was the Iliescu’s interference that had prevented the young human from being harassed after his family passed on. He also had a rather ungodly amount of money to his name and yet he had sold the family manor and chose to live in that house in the suburbs like common folk. None of it made any sense to Owethu but he could at least concede that this mate bond could, at least, result in an attachment of increase of resources and wealth for his own clan. That was the cold logic part of his thoughts.

The other part was less understandable. The line between raw instinct and higher intellect has always been narrow for naga but since sensing this mate bond, Owethu had been less walking the line and more dancing the blade’s edge. He was uneasy at all hours. He had not been sleeping and each and every shadow, every sideways look was a challenge, an attack. The sense that all was not well had become almost maddening until he had, with bullying conviction, decided that it couldn’t go on any longer.

“You look thin.” He said. The human tensed, knuckles white against his cup.

“My magic is… unpredictable at the moment.” The boy said, as though this explained everything. It did not.

“And?” The boy flinched.

“Magic will feed itself whatever way it can. When the body has no more energy or fat to give, it starts to eat away at the muscle and bone of the spell castor.” Adrian explained. Owethu’s eyebrows rose a little higher.

“Is it wise to be spell casting in such a state?” The naga asked. The human gave a harsh laugh.

“Wise? If I was doing this on purpose maybe not but apparently my magic has a mind of its own at the moment.” Adrian growled. The anger felt more as though it were being directed inwards then at Owethu. The naga considered this for a moment before understanding dawned on him.

“The mate bond is affecting your abilities?” He guessed. The boy shrugged unhappily.

“I don’t know that for sure but it seems like it. Nothing like this has ever happened to me before.” He sighed. Owethu looked around at the flurry of people. He watched a boy with long hair and glasses order at the counter. There were a couple of elderly witches sitting outside. An old scotty terrier was sitting at their feet, eating half a scone. The day was overcast but calm enough. Was he missing something?

“Nothing seems to be occurring right now.” Owethu commented. Adrian gave a little nod.

“No. It only seems to be when I’m on my own that it happens.” The naga nodded his head.

“Have you eaten?” He asked. The boy shook his head.

“You should order food.” Owethu handed the menu to the boy who took it with a look of mild surprise.

“You know, your actually not bad company. When you aren’t being an ass.” Adrian said, his lip quirking in a foxy sort of smirk. It was rather attractive on the boy. Owethu sneered back.

“I might still choose to leave.” The naga hissed, only half-heartedly. Adrian ordered a mushroom and spinach omelette for breakfast. Whilst they waited Adrian decided to try and get a few more questions in, seeing as the male seemed in a better mood.

“So… caporegime. That’s like a second in command?” He said as casually as he could. The naga hissed low but gave a short nod.

“Yes. My grandfather is the head of our clan. I and my sister are his seconds. My other siblings are below us in rank.” Adrian blinked.

“Your grandfather?” He said. Vaguely, he wondered how long nagas lived for. How old was Owethu? He looked to be late twenties or perhaps early thirties. What if he was several hundred years older?

Awkward…

“Yes. My father challenged him for the position and was cut down by my grandfather.” Owethu said without the smallest amount of regret or sadness. Adrian stared.

“Your grandfather… killed your father?” Adrian asked slowly, needing clarification. The naga seemed puzzled by his question.

“Of course. A challenge was issued. No challenge of that magnitude could be left with both nagas breathing.” He said this very simply as though explaining rainfall to a small child.

“Right…” Adrian mumbled. Naga didn’t have family bonds. They were not human, and therefore would not act like humans. This was going to be tough.

\--

Owethu walked Adrian the few blocks back to his house. They went in silence, neither really knowing what to say. It was a nice gesture at least. When Adrian got to the cobblestone path of his front garden, Owethu sniffed at the air.

“Your mage friend was here.” The naga said, lip curling unpleasantly.

“Daniel, yes, he dropped my home yesterday. I don’t suppose you can smell anything else?” Adrian asked a little hopefully. The naga stepped passed him and strode up the path, breathing with an open mouth.

“Another mage, definitely human. I cannot say anything other then that.” Owethu said finally. Adrian shrugged.

“Well human is a good sign at least.” He said. The naga gave him a quizzical look.

“Don’t worry about it. Thank you for meeting with me today. I’m really still not sure what we are going to do-” The naga studied the boy as he babbled on. Even with the dark circles under his eyes and small frame, the boy was quite attractive. The days of hunting humans and displaying them in the banquet halls were long gone but the thought of this boy, splayed out on the grand mahogany table made the naga shift.

He stepped into the boy’s space. He saw Adrian’s eyes widen in shock as he covered the boy’s mouth with his own. The kiss was hard and rough and as he pressed himself against the human, something inside his chest clicked.

The deep hated fire that had been driving him insane over the last few weeks finally ebbed. The surprised squeak turned to a low groan as the human folded under him. He walked the mage back until he was pressed against the front door of his own house. Adrian’s scent and taste were everything. Orange blossom, coffee grinds and warm fabric. He slid long fingers into the boy’s curls and forced his head back, electing a whimper. Gods that sound made his blood heat.

With a great effort he wrenched himself away. Adrian stood on his front doorstep, eyes wide, lips a little swollen, swaying slightly

“I…uh…” Adrian spluttered. Owethu had to turn away hard and fast. His instincts were telling him to bite. To bite and fuck and kill.

“I will come by again tomorrow.” He forced out. Adrian didn’t even get to reply before the naga vaulted the little picket fence and was gone.

\--

END

\--


	6. Whirlwind Wishes

\--

Chapter Six  
Whirlwind Wishes

\--

Adrian went to bed early that night. Prince walked around and around his head on the pillows whilst he lay staring up at the ceiling, thinking abut what had happened that afternoon. The kiss had come completely out of left field. It hadn’t been… bad? He honestly hadn’t thought the naga would have done something like that. He felt confused.

Tired.

But also, surprisingly in control and calm. His magic had not acted out once since he had got home. For the first time in weeks Adrian was able to pull up the blanket, turn off his bedside lamp and go to sleep. As he dreamt he saw no melting concrete or car wrecks. His dreams were perfectly bizarre but normal.

They were very loud though.

Wait.

Was it his dream that was loud? Adrian groaned as he rolled over. Bright sunlight was streaming through the gap in his curtains. Yawning he reached for his phone. It took him a moment to read the numbers. He had slept all the way through to eight in the morning. Holy crap. He grinned. He had thought about meeting up with Daniel today. They had talked about going to the gym for a swim session. He only had an afternoon lecture which he planned to listen to online.

Adrian laid there, warm and comfortable. He even considered just going back to sleep for a bit. He wondered briefly what had woken him. Feeling a familiar weight on his bed he looked down at Prince. The smile faded from his face as his little white cat was standing, four legs splayed apart and his tail all bustled out. He was ridged and facing his window, hissing.

“Prince? What’s wrong little buddy?” Adrian reached out a hand to his cat. Prince growled low, ears flat as he starred daggers at his curtains. He frowned. The mage swung his legs around and stood, bare feet hitting the carpet. Slowly, he padded towards the window. His wards were still very much active, humming musical tones in his inner consciousness. There was certainly no foreign presence in his own house. His room looked normal too, unlike the other day when his magic had gone haywire and started throwing things.

He wrenched back the curtain and peered out. He had half expected to see someone jump back from the other side. There was no one. The day was overcast with the sunlight just peeking through the cracks in the cloud cover. It was the sort of day that might clear up into a sunny afternoon. Oddly though he could swear that the cloud cover was smoky rather than foggy. The suburb was quiet. The sound of cars from the main road was quite a way off. Adrian leaned closer to the glass and looked down, frowning.

Several flower pots lay haphazardly about in the flower bed. He had planted daffodil bulbs in them and put them on the window sill. Now they lay, their contents sprayed darkly over the flowerbed. One pot had hit the ground with enough force to have cracked in half.

“The hell?” Adrian muttered. He ran his fingers across the sill and opened the window. Leaning out, he tried to get a better look at the debris. A couple of the bulbs had been flung several meters away onto the little cobblestone path. Utterly confused, he closed the window again. Prince was now sitting on the bed. His fur was still fluffy and his tail lashed from side to side but he had stopped hissing.

“What was that all about?” Adrian mumbled. His cat gave him a petulant look and jumped down, sauntering off into the corridor. He stood in his bedroom for a while longer, wondering. He reached for his phone. He had three missed calls. Two he had come to recognise were from Simon. He had already blocked one number from that pretentious bastard. Of course, it didn’t take much for the man to just use a different number and start calling again. The last call was from Daniel. Just as he was about to call back his phone vibrated in his hand, a text message popping up.

Daniel: Turn on the news.

Adrian hurried into the lounge room and switched on the television. It took him a few channel changes before he found the morning news.

“Shit.” He mumbled.

“Authorities have called in experts including local fire practitioner Daniel Wright to provide some incite into the inferno.” A tall man in a brown suit was talking into a microphone. Behind him was a chaos of movement and flame. Towards the end of the street, blocked off by people in uniforms and barriers was what looked like a large store front. Black smoke and flames were licking up its walls. There were several fire trucks and people. Adrian squinted, trying to pick Daniel out of the mob.

“The fire was thought to have been started at around six o’clock this morning. A family of five lived above the shop and yet to be accounted for. The fire has since spread to the two neighbouring buildings.” Adrian watched as two police officers came up and started assuring the news reporter and his crew back further at the sound of shattering glass, probably from the several windows blowing out.

“Stay with us as we report live on the scene. This Christian Johnson with channel four news.” He thought briefly about trying to call Daniel but he doubted the other man would answer now. He only hoped Daniel could get there quickly and stop the flames from spreading.

Adrian puttered about his kitchen, still keeping one ear open to the television other other room. He still hadn’t heard back from Doctor Benson. With Daniel now thoroughly preoccupied it might be an idea to take a bus and go to the doctor’s office himself. After a large breakfast of scrambled eggs, he grabbed his jacket and left the house. He stopped again at his front garden to clean up a little of the mess. Maybe it had just been really windy last night and the pots had fallen off on their own? He didn’t find any fresh foot prints or magical signatures. After pilling the soil and bulbs loosely into the mostly unbroken pots he washed his hands with the garden hose and set off.

His street was eerily quiet. There were no kids playing, no one mowing their lawn or collecting the newspaper. Yes, the air was a bit crisp but it wasn’t to bad. He was hyperaware of the sound his sneakers made on the footpath. He glanced sideways at a few of the houses. Most of them had drawn shutters or curtains. Creepy.

He hurried to his bus stop. Thankfully he didn’t have to wait long and was grateful for the familiar if slightly smelly interior of the local bus. He swiped his travel card and took a seat up the front. There were only a couple of other passengers. A couple of mothers with young children and an elderly man. Out of habit he scanned their auras. They were all mundane humans. The bus into the city took nearly forty minutes. He climbed out at the bus station. He stopped briefly for a coffee and to google the doctor’s shopfront location. He hadn’t been there since he was a little kid.

He got a few curious looks from people who probably recognised him from the news coverage of the conference but unflattering loose clothes, scruffy hair and the stubble on his face was enough to convince them they were mistaken. He stopped out the front of the clinic and pushed the heavy glass door open. A tiny bell above the door tinkled happily.

The woman at the front desk looked up from her papers and gave him a small smile as he joined the que. Clinics were always busy, even early in the morning. There was some kid’s movie playing on the widescreen television and several people already seated in the waiting room. There was a small bowl of fruit on offer at the front desk next to an empty box of tissues. He shifted from foot to foot. The room smelt sterile and dry. These kinds of places always made him a touch uncomfortable. Finally, he got to the front of the line.

“Did you have an appointment?” The woman asked politely.

“Not exactly. Doctor Benson came to see me a little over a week ago to run some blood tests. He said they wouldn’t take that long but I haven’t heard from him since.” Adrian explained. The woman’s face lit up with recognition.

“Oh, I’m afraid Doctor Benson has been off sick these last few days.” She explained. Adrian’s face fell.

“You’re kidding.” He spluttered. The woman gave him a slightly lopsided smile.

“Unfortunately, not. Even with the flu injected he still managed to catch it. What was your name? It’s possible he may have left your bloodwork here.” She said.

“Adrian Blackthorn.” The woman did a sharp double take, her eyes widening a little. He winced. Was it his imagination or did the conversation around him die down a little? A woman in her forties passing by looked him up and down. She was holding a little urine cup in one hand. Okay, this was getting more uncomfortable…

“So, umm… did he leave anything for me?” He had to ask to prompt the nurse into action. She spun in her chair and marched away to a set of tall filing cabinet. There was the sound a metal drawings and ruffling paper. She came back empty handed.

“I’m afraid there is nothing here for you. It is possible he wanted to give you the results himself. I’m very sorry you had to come all this way.” She said. Adrian shoulders slumped.

“There really isn’t much point of asking when he will be back?” He tried.

“I’m afraid not. We will call you when he is back in the clinic.” He nodded, not knowing what else could be said. He turned away from the counter with a soft utterance of thanks. To his great discomfort he saw several people wiping their phones out of sight. He had an awful feeling his photo was going to end up splashed all over social media by the afternoon.

He pulled up the hood of his jacket and stepped back out onto the street. He wasn’t sure whether or not he should be worried. It wasn’t exactly unheard of that an elderly doctor who spent all day around sick people and snotty children to fall ill himself. The timing was just awful. He wasn’t entirely sure what he wanted the news to be anyway. Already he had seen the results of the bond. When he spent some time with the naga his magic was more under control. It wasn’t rocket science…point of fact magic was probably a tad more complicated then rocket science but it didn’t require much thought at this point.

He trudged off back down the street in a decided badly mood. He was worried for Daniel and confused about what to do with Owethu. He couldn’t bloody well play house with a naga that could barely tolerate his presence. He tried to imagine coming home from a long day at work in gallery to Owethu standing in his kitchen holding a pair of tongs and wearing a frilly apron. The image made him snort with laughter.

What was he supposed to do? His walk got slower as he wandered rather aimlessly through the shopping district. He wanted to ask someone for advice. If he was completely honest, what he really wanted was… well… an adult. A parent figure to talk to. He didn’t have that though.

Not anymore.

He stopped at a salad bar for lunch, sitting with a chicken wrap and thumbing through the news feed on his phone. After six hours of battling and the arrival of a fire mage the blaze was finally well under control but not before it had chewed through three small buildings and damaged two others. The fire was suspected of being lit intentionally. Four people were confirmed to be dead. Adrian bowed his head quietly for a moment in solace. There were no new messages from Daniel not that he had expected to see any. It would probably be awhile before he would pick up his phone.

The trip home was mercifully unremarkable. There were even a few kids playing cricket on the road as he walked passed. He smiled and gave a small wave. A couple of the kids waved energetically back. As he turned down his street he paused. There was a tall figure waiting in his front garden. His eyes widen a little as he recognised the towering outline. He quickened his pace.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t think you would be so soon in the afternoon.” Adrian said as a greeting to the naga. Owethu tilted his in a way of acknowledgement. He was leaning casually against the white picket gate.

“I have not been waiting long.” The naga murmured.

“I’m afraid I scared off one of your neighbours.” He added. Adrian blinked.

“What do you mean?” He asked.

“Your neighbour was waiting for you at your front door. He didn’t want to wait with me.” The naga grunted. Well that wasn’t exactly a surprise. Nagas were not common in any sense of the word. He probably scared whoever it was half to death. Adrian’s frown deepened. None of his neighbours had ever come to visit him before, not even when he first moved in.

“That’s… odd.” Adrian said. The naga shrugged. Adrian stood nervously in the yard. Well… if he wanted to build some sort of a relationship with this man they couldn’t stand outside the entire afternoon.

“Would you like to come inside?” Adrian asked. The naga raised an eyebrow.

“You think that’s wise?” The sentence came out more as a hiss then anything else and Adrian’s body tensed.

“Is that your way of warning?” He said nervously. The naga straightened. As he walked towards the mage, Adrian became distinctly aware of how much shorter he was. He took a step back.

Then another.

He felt a deep instinctive fear that almost any mammal felt the presence of snake. It was feeling that he was prey, that he was being hunted. Something in his gut clenched and based on instinct alone, he called his magic to the forefront. His fingertips tingled even as he retreated further into the shadow of his house. The naga’s eyes were bright, the slits even more visible in their inhumanity. The heel of Adrian’s sneaker hit the door and he swallowed as his retreat was blocked.

“Tell me human, have you done your research? Do you know how my kind usually choose their mates?” Owethu hissed, following him. Adrian nodded tightly.

“I do.” He rasped. The naga let a noise like a rattler before striking. The sound made several nearby birds take flight and his own blood run cold. His palms were sweaty. He had never used his shields against a creature as powerful as a naga before. He wasn’t even entirely sure what kind of a shield to use.

Shielding spells didn’t work the way most people thought they did. A mage can’t just block anything and everything. Shields could be incredibly specific, they had to be told what to block. The easiest and most common was a kinetic shield, like the kind seen in movies. It could absorb the impact of an oncoming force. It was what most people think of when they think ‘shield.’

“But this isn’t one sided. You want this to work too or you wouldn’t be here.” Adrian said with as much confidence as he could muster. He had absolutely no way of knowing if that was true but he hoped it was true. He hoped the naga felt what he did, this electric tingling about the other’s person. A psychically and psychological pull to one another. The naga hissed again, showing long fangs.

“I do. I cannot ignore the connection. It is a constant cause of distraction.” Owethu growled. He was now in serious danger of being too close. Adrian could feel a crick forming in his neck as he looked up at the man. He knew from his grandfather’s research that naga despised weakness. He tried not to show his fear but it was difficult to keep his legs from shaking. It didn’t help that he had already backed himself into a corner like an idiot.

“A fated mate bond brings two energies together that require each other. What is it, human, that I lack that you could possibly offer? What is it that you want from me?” he asked. It was a blunt if fair question. Unfortunately, Adrian didn’t have an answer.

“I-”

“I need to hunt, by extension, little human, does that mean you want to be hunted?” Owethu’s voice dropped. Adrian felt his own cheeks heat.

“What!? No!” Adrian choked. The naga pressed in until Adrian was right up against his front door, breathe catching in his lungs.

“And yet.” Owethu growled. He dipped his head and Adrian heart jumped into his throat as the naga ran his nose along Adrian’s jaw, inhaling.

“What is it that I could possibly need from you?” The man hissed. He sounded frustrated. A long-fingered hand up Adrian’s chest to cup his jaw. He shivered bodily as he head was turned to one side, exposing the vein to sharp teeth. He tried not to think about his own body’s ridiculous urge to arch in rather then away.

“I don’t know.” Adrian whispered. Something warm and wet touched the skin, making his jump.

Close, way to close.

“Could you let me go now please? I have a doorknob in my back. It’s not practically comfortable.” He was proud when his voice only shook a little. The air between them was almost palpable.

“By all means then, human. Invite me in.” The naga purred. He took a step back and Adrian drew in a lungful of breath. The scent of musk, vetiver and dry earth made him dizzy. His hand fumbled for the doorknob. The door opened and he took several long steps backwards. The naga towering in the open doorway, eyes glowing. He could not follow Adrian into the house.

Adrian took the time to pull himself together. He shook his head.

“Okay. We need to establish some rules and boundaries.” He said, feeling more gounded. This was his space, his place and he wouldn't be threatened here. Owethu smirked, showing one long fang.

“Probably best.” The naga said, eyes still fixed on somewhere around Adrian’s throat.

“Have you done your research?” Adrian asked.

“Do you know who I am?” He said, clarifying. He watched Owethu’s brows furrow.

“I know you are of the Blackthorn line, I know your parents and sister are dead.” Adrian flinched.

“I am aware that your bloodline is old.” The naga added. Adrian nodded.

“Yes. I specialise in..?” He asked. Owethu shrugged.

“I am a shield maker. Barriers and shield are my affinity.” The naga looked both surprised and… disappointed? Or perhaps annoyed.

“Shields.” Owethu said flatly.

“I thought all humans were taught how to shield as part of your basic education.” Yes, the naga was certainly not impressed. Rude.

“From what I understood, most magic users are taught to shield as children, at the same time as learning to hold a pencil.” The tone was becoming a lot more mocking. Adrian straightened. This had not been the first time he had this conversation. Or the second. Or even the third. He was long passed the age when he would have been offended. He just smiled. He rubbed the fingers of his right hand together, forming a tiny bubble about the size of a gold ball.

“You don’t think I’m a threat.” Adrian said factually. The naga actually laughed, a deep rumble that made Adrian’s stomach do flips.

“A threat? Boy, if I were younger and less practiced in restrains as many of my brethren, you would already be a polished skull on my mantel. Intentional or not.” Adrian held his ground and tipped his chin.

“By all means then. Come in.” Adrian said. He raised his arms up and with a snap of the finger of his left hand, the house wards deactivated. He saw the moment Owethu’s eyes widen. Adrian smirked.

“But make no mistake.” Adrian said, advancing.

“If I want you to leave.” Another stride and he was back in the doorway.

The air grew thick, the atmosphere tight and electric, like the whole space of the world was suddenly coiled like an elastic band.

“You will leave.” Owethu’s mouth opened as Adrian raised his hand. He didn’t even utter a spell. He didn’t need to. He did not tell the sphere in his hand to become a projectile. He simply told it to grow.

There was a sound like a whoosh as Owethu was lifted off his feet and thrown violently back down his front garden, landing inches from the picket fence. The naga rolled to all fours. He stayed down, the air sounding wet as he tried to draw it in, thoroughly winded. The impact was like running at full speed bodily into a brick wall. Adrian had no doubt that if Owethu had been human he would have a few broken bones. He waited, arms crossed, in the door way of his house, his own body tingling with the sudden release of the spell.

Slowly, the naga got to his feet. His immaculate clothes were ruffed and there was now mud on his knees and wrist cuffs. His eyes were wide and his short-cropped hair was dusted with a few small stray leaves.

“The hardest part of that spell is making sure the shield only targets living flesh.” Adrian said, not entirely able to kind the smugness all the way down. Owethu opened his mouth and then closed it.

“Would you like to come in for coffee?” Adrian asked with much politeness.

“Perhaps a glass of water would be better.” The naga rasped. The boy smirked and stepped to one side.

“I think we can manage that.” He said. Owethu hesitated before slowly and with much caution, following the mage into his house, the front door closing behind him with a click.

\--

END

\--


	7. Mistakes A Plenty

\--

Chapter Seven  
Mistakes A Plenty

\--

Owethu sat in the armchair. His ribs ached slightly. Though they were already healing, he suspected that one had cracked. He had never seen shielding spells used in such a way. He never knew that they could be used in such a way. His ears were still ringing. He was torn between pride in a mate that was capable of such a fete and humiliation that he had been bested by a human.

Well.

Perhaps bested was too strong a word.

“How do you like your tea?” Adrian asked. The boy was standing in the doorway, a mug in each hand. They both hand ridiculous prints of cartoon cats all over them.

“Black. No sugar.” Owethu grunted. As the boy turned back to the kitchen the naga pinched the bridge of his nose. His sister had kept the news about his very human fated mate to herself. The other naga who had attended the conference, Byron, was new enough to their clan to wisely keep his mouth shut. He wouldn’t risk angering Owethu. Even so, it wouldn’t be long before others began to find out. His own aura had changed because of this mate bond. He wouldn’t be able to keep it hidden for much longer, especially from those old enough to know what to look for.

He couldn’t understand why fate had paired him with a human. It was a question that filled his every waking thought. It made no sense, logically or otherwise. He could get no hatchlings from this boy, money perhaps but that was hardly something he required.

The mage came back with the mugs of tea. Owethu took one with a nod of thanks. Adrian perched one hip on the arm of his couch. An uncomfortable silence filled the room. Owethu sighed.

“Tell me about yourself.” He said finally. Adrian quirked an eyebrow.

“Tell you about myself? Like my hopes and dreams?” That foxy little smirk was back with that edge of sarcasm.

“It is obvious that neither of us understand the reasoning behind our bond. The most obvious place to start would be to learn each other’s history.” Owethu explained. The human was holding tension in his slender frame. He was gripping his own mug of tea a little to tightly.

“There isn’t much to tell. You must have read how my family died.” Adrian said, his voice suddenly measured and dull.

“And that is all your history is? Your dead parents and a dead sister?” Owethu replied bluntly. Adrian’s head snapped up, eyes flashing.

“You really are quite a callus bastard aren’t you.” He spat. Owethu met his gaze steadily.

“It is not in my nature to placate others.” The naga said. Adrian glared.

Then he sighed.

“Honestly my family were always important to me. Most of my family were teachers or historians of some description. We travelled a lot, my father always writing his next book. My childhood was happy, a little odd perhaps but happy. The very first time I showed a talent for magic was when I was four years old. We were sitting at the breakfast table and I froze my father’s cup of coffee into a block of ice. Dad’s tongue got stuck. I think I laughed myself sick.” Adrian smiled sadly. His family had thrown a little party to celebrate another mage in the family.

“I remember my grandmother teaching me how to accelerate the growth of an orange blossom into an orange. Jenny was better at it then I was. The garden was always full of orange trees. When I was eleven, Daniel and I got caught trying to listen in on a meeting my dad was having with a wereleopard after we were told to go to bed. As punishment dad gave us both leopard spots. We couldn’t get them off either and had to go to school with them all over our faces.” Adrian grinned at the memory. He could still hear Lyndall’s roar of laughter and their teacher’s chastising.

“The Blackthorn Manor had gone down six generations of sons and daughters. There was nine bedrooms, four reception areas, an indoor pool and acres of land. We even had about fifteen servants. The house never felt overly big because we always had people around. Our grandparents stayed often when they were alive, so did my cousins, aunts and uncles. Many of my dad’s friends in the supernatural community came to visit. Even the Iliescus stayed over now and again. A few of the servants had kids and we often played together. Most of the servants were more like family then staff and the manor house was always full and busy.” Adrian’s face had a far away expression, lost in the memories.

“You sold the manor after you lost your family?” Owethu asked. Adrian shook his head, surprising him.

“No, actually. I haven’t been back there since I moved out but I haven’t sold it yet.” Owethu frowned. He had assumed the property had been sold due to the boy’s current location.

“But you live… here?” He said slowly. Adrian nodded, clearly uncomfortable.

“It’s complicated when the house has been in a magical family for so long. The old magics and secrets of that family are bled into the house. There are plenty of people who offered to buy for those reasons. There are many who would pay a high price for the chance to strip a house like the Blackthorn Manor. I had intended to sell but I haven’t had the time… or the will power to go back through and strip the place properly of all its magic history.” He explained. His face was drawn and tired looking. Owethu allowed him a moment to drink down some tea.

“Surely your extended family would be suited to help. Are they not also of magic blood?” Adrian stared into his cup.

“Yes.” He croaked. He cleared his throat.

“Yes, they are, or most of them. But they stopped coming around after…” Adrian closed his eyes. It had been something he had tried not to think about for so long. This conversation was bringing up many of those painful memories.

“Really, I do understand. I know I look a lot like my father. Jenny was so much like mum. We could have been an image of them in reverse time. I know it hurt for them to see me and be reminded of them. I know they were hurting and needed some time but…” His eyes burned with tears as the words came tumbling out before he could stop them.

“But I was barely eighteen and they just fucking vanished out of my life and left me in that giant empty house by myself. I had no idea what the fuck I was doing, I had never even considered the possibility of losing both of my parents!” He was louder with every word, anger bringing his dull eyes back to life.

“I had barely graduated. I couldn’t run the manor, organise the staff payroll and make preparations for my parent’s will. Less then a month before a still needed a fucking hall pass just to use the toilet at school! I needed help! I needed them and they just fucking left me to pick up the pieces!” All of it came bursting out like a broken dam. Once he started he couldn’t stop himself.

There was so much.

So much pain and resentment and self-loathing.

“I should have been able to handle it but I couldn’t. All those people who were friends of my family, they all gave their condolences but hardly any of them actually wanted to offer advice or even be there for me. My family’s coffins were barely in the ground when everyone started asking. They all wanted something! My father’s research, the inheritance, the grounds! Extended family I had never even heard of wanted to know what I was going to do for them, to give to them!” Adrian’s vision blurred, his grip on the mug lethally tight.

“I needed help and no wanted to give it for free.” The words were a tangled sob. Strong fingers pried the shaking cup from his grip. He was only half conscious of the figure in front of him pulling him to his feet. His face was pressed hard against the lapel of the man in front of him. He gripped the suit jacket, needed to be grounded, needing something to hold onto.

“I tried so fucking hard to stay in the Manor. It was my home. I wasn’t strong enough though. Every time something moved or fell I thought my father was going to walk through the door with his nose in his books. Walking passed Jenny’s room I could smell that peach perfume she always wore. I couldn’t even pack up mum’s desk because she had left that way on purpose and it felt like if I touched anything I would be erasing her somehow and I just… I just-” He was becoming completely incoherent. Owethu didn’t say anything. He just held onto his mate. He wasn’t one to normally provide comfort but that familiar weight that he just should for Adrian was a sensation he couldn’t ignore.

One hand came up to squeeze the back of Adrian’s neck, relaxing the tight muscles. He cried in a way he had not done since that first night alone in the Manor. His shoulders quaked and he felt small and young again. He was raw and shaky by the time he could finally scrape some sense together.

“Gods, I’m sorry. I know naga don’t really deal with any of this.” Adrian blurted, trying to pull back. Owethu kept a firm grip on his shoulders.

“The bonds that humans have as a family unit is crucial for your species evolution and survival. It would be unnatural for you to feel any different.” Owethu said. His deep voice and the matter-of-fact tone were strangely soothing.

“Thank you.” Adrian croaked. The naga held him for awhile longer. When his aura was no longer fluctuating with his pain and distress, the man pulled away. Adrian immediately missed the connection. The slightest wince on the other’s face hinted that he may not be the only one.

“So. I suppose in a way you were right. I suppose I am only about my dead family.” He laughed but is was utterly humourless. The naga shifted.

“I meant no offence.” He muttered. The boy shook his head, wiping at his face with the back of a hand.

“I know. It was a fair statement. I don’t really know how to move passed it.” He admitted.

“It is difficult if you haven’t been given the means.” Owethu said. He sat back in the armchair across from him. Adrian frowned.

“I have been trying to keep myself busy. University and working, anything to keep my mind off it.” Owethu tip his head to the side.

“Avoidance is hardly a method of moving on.” He said. Adrian nodded.

“I know. I just don’t know how else to get through it.” He replied.

“Perhaps… perhaps that is why I am here.” Owethu murmured. Adrian opened his mouth. The he closed it again.

That wasn’t… entirely ridiculous. Of all the possible explanations for their mate bond, it wasn’t so absurd.

“That isn’t fair. That would be really one sided.” Adrian pointed out. The naga seemed to consider this for a long moment.

“What about you? There has to be something, anything I can do for you.” The boy said.

“You already know I hold the second in commend of my clan. Our territory is ideal but small. There is rarely a night where I do not have negations or jobs to ensure the safety of my clan.” Adrian’s face suddenly lit up.

“Your territory, is it guarded? Magically, I mean.” He asked, an idea forming in his head. Owethu frowned.

“No. Nagas hold magic in their blood and bone but we are not spell castors. That is for human, elves and fae.” He said.

“So, it’s all muscle power?” Adrian clarified. The naga nodded.

“But it doesn’t have to be.” The mage said quickly. Owethu frowned.

“How so?”

“I could place sigils on your territory’s boarders. At the very least you would be warned if anything of a supernatural bloodline was crossing your boarders.” Owethu sat forward in his seat, his eyes narrowing.

“You could do this?” He hissed.

“Of course. You know who I am. There would be something I could do for your clan.” This was… unexpected. Not many supernatural communities had human spell castors working for them or with them. Most were just to distrustful, others had their own brands of magic. This could set his clan up to becoming a primary power in this city. There was a downside to this idea. To bring Adrian on in any capacity would mean exposing him to the clan. They would know he was Owethu’s mate. Even if he boy was as good as he claimed, his life be in considerable danger.

“And you would do this for my clan for free?” He tone was hard and he saw the flash of hurt on the boy’s face.

“I was offering to help you in exchange for you helping me.” Adrian muttered. The excitement in his stance had waned. Owethu pinched the bridge of his nose again.

“I… yes. Forgive me. I am not accustomed to anyone offering aid to my kind for any reason. This will take some getting used to.” Owethu groaned. Adrian peaked over at him meekly.

“Getting used to… as apposed to finding away out of the bond?” Adrian asked. The naga nodded. Adrian felt his stomach clench. He tried to keep his excitement under control. It was going to take time and patience from both of them.

“I can not promise you that any of this will go smoothly. I am not human. I can’t always control my instincts but I will… try.” The shock and happiness on the young human’s face made him uncomfortable. Gods. He was grateful his sister wasn’t here to mock him.

“I will need to consult with my clan. It may take some days.” He said, rising from the chair. Adrian did the same.

“Of course. Well… you know where I live and you have my number.” He said. His skin prickled with the proximity to the other man. He wanted to reach out and close the distance but he stayed put, knowing that they were testing new restraints. The naga was breathing shallowly. Adrian scent was heavy, coating the roof of his mouth tongue. He hissed. He watched as the boy’s pupils expanded. The young practitioner may not understand why but he was already responding to his mate. The pull was almost magnetic.

Owethu reached out a hand and pushed back a stray lock of hair. Adrian shivered. The heat coming off the boy seeped into his fingers. They twitched. He wanted to grab the boy by the hair and force his head back…

“I need to go.” Owethu growled. Adrian nodded slowly.

“Okay.” He rasped. The older man pulled away with a visible effort and headed for the front door before pausing.

“I am sorry what I said when we first met. I don’t believe you are a weak child.” He said, his voice low. Adrian gave a small smile and shrugged.

“Thank you but it isn’t necessary. What ever this is I think its safe to say there can’t be many cases of it. What we are is… different. You just reacted with what you were presented with.” He said. Owethu dipped his head. His human was oddly logical.

“I will come back.” He rumbled. Adrian gave a little grin.

“I know.”

\--

Adrian was practically vibrating with excitement. This was the closest to some sort of solution he had come to. Owethu had actually thanked him for the tea! He had to return to his clan to discuss with the clan leader about the prospect of Adrian becoming their practitioner. That still made his chest tighten. The naga clan’s personal practitioner… Daniel would lose his shit over this one. Adrian was oddly happy.

And nervous.

He was also a little embarrassed. This had been the first time he had really unloaded everything he had been keeping inside. He didn’t feel the same pity and restraint that he normally got from people. The naga was an oddly blank slate, composed and unjudging. It had been such a bitter sweet relief to let some of that pain out.

He was, for the first time in months, clear headed. He was in perfect control of his magic. He was… himself. He was about to head back into the kitchen when there was a loud pounding on his door. He frowned. He knew it wasn’t Owethu. The creepy thing was he was entirely sure how he was sure it wasn’t Owethu. He padded over to his front door. A mew made him look down.

“Where have you been?” He asked the little white cat. Prince stared up at him with oddly wide eyes. The cat hadn’t made an appearance for the naga’s visit. Come to think of it, it was pretty understandable that the little cat hadn’t wanted to meet the naga. Snakes and cats didn’t get along. Snakes and most living animals didn’t get along.

The knock on his door came again. He reached for the door handle, ignoring Prince’s protesting yowls. To his surprise it was one of the neighbourhood kids. A young sandy haired boy about ten or eleven years of age. Danny was his name? Or was it Dean?

“Hey, what’s up? Did you lose your cricket ball again?” Adrian asked, smiling. He glanced outside. He hadn’t realised how dark it had gotten. Why were the boys playing cricket so late? The smile died as he noticed just how oddly pale the boy was.

“Are you alright?” Adrian asked. Immediately his own magic rose like warm water, reacting to the odd situation. His senses reached out into the street but it was empty. He didn’t feel anything dangerous. Dean was just a mundane human.

“Uhm, nah. My ma sent me over to see how you were.” Dean said.

“She did?” Adrian frowned. He knew a couple of his neighbours. Most of them were families. It was a fairly quiet suburb. For that, he had been very grateful. He had said hello a few times to various people as they watered their gardens or mowed their lawn but he certainly didn’t know any of them by first names.

“Yeah. She said to give you this.” Dean shoved a basket into his hands. Adrian took it as not to have it dropped on his foot.

“Well, umm see ya.” Dean said.

“Hey wait a sec-” Dean was already gone though, hands in his pockets and shoulders hunched as though he were embarrassed. Adrian peaked inside the basket. The scent of fresh bread hit his nose. He loved pumpkin bread. It struck a hard cord deep in his memory bank. One of the cooks would always make pumpkin bread on the weekends.

This was… odd He looked back down the street but Dean was gone.

Prince followed him into the kitchen. He still hadn’t cooked dinner yet. He took the bread out of the basket and put it on a chopping board. It smelt good. Like. Really good. He grabbed a serrated knife. Turning back to the kitchen.

“Get out of it!” Prince was standing, kitty paw extended to the bread loaf.

“Shoo, I’ll feed you in a minute.” He shunted the cat off the table where he heard him land with a soft thump. This repeated twice more, once when he grabbed a plate and again when he got the butter from the fridge.

“You don’t even like bread! Go away.” Adrian sniped as Prince went for the bread loaf for a fourth time. Adrian cut himself a thick slice and applied the butter. His mouth watered. Ignoring Prince’s yowls, he ate. The bread was perhaps a little dry but still delicious. It was slightly tangier then he remembered. Debating on making some soup to go with his new bread he grabbed Prince’s cat food and poured the biscuits into the dish. Prince ignored it completely.

Cats.

Adrian sighed and went back to the kitchen. His mouth was a little dry. He grabbed a glass a drank down some water before going back to his bread. He took another bite, trying to remember which cook it was that always baked it. Was it Mary? No, she always made cakes. Adrian tried to picture her face but the image was fuzzy in his mind.

In fact, everything was fuzzy in his mind.

Adrian wobbled a little on his feet. The kitchen bench swayed in and out of his vision. Prince was back on the bench, standing over the bread and hissing. He tried to speak but the words sort of slid away from him, the vowels unforgiving. He took a step but his knee buckled.

He went down the wrong way, his head colliding with the kitchen doorframe with a sickening crack. Pain exploding behind his eyes. He had a faint impressing of shadows outside the kitchen window and the cracking of glass before all went black.

\--

END

\--


	8. Friends and Foes

\--

Chapter Eight  
Friends and Foes

\--

Daniel groaned when he got home. His clothes reeked of smoke and dried sweat. His hair was uncomfortably stiff and his feet ached from the long day of hell he had spent on them.

He threw his keys down on the bench with perhaps more force then was strictly necessary and cursed for probably the thousandth time that day. They had waited to call him in to tame the fire that had swept through the small apartment. They had waited because both the police and fire brigade didn’t like to be seen as incapable of doing their jobs. Well they hadn’t done their fucking jobs today. 

Because of pride, people were dead. It had been difficult to tell just by looking at the severely charred remains if they could have been saved or not. It didn’t matter. They should have called him earlier regardless. 

All he wanted now was a bloody long shower, some clean clothes and stiff drink. He rolled his shoulders, groaning again as several of the joints popped and clicked. Maybe he would just have one drink first… He was just about to reach for a glass when there was a sudden, violent pounding on his front door. Daniel jumped.

“Daniel! Open the door!” He was shocked by the volume of Lyndall’s voice. Lyndall had never really been one to shout. She was a petite, quiet little thing whose death glare had always been enough to convey her meaning. Therefore, it was more then a little shocking to open his door to see her standing there, body trembling like a leaf and eyes full of tears. 

The bottom of his stomach fell.

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s Adrian.” 

He didn’t ask why. He didn’t ask if she was sure. He just picked up his car keys and ran to the car, Lyndall in tow. 

When they were kids it had taken their families an embarrassingly long time to work out Lyndall’s affinity. With Daniel it had been easy. His gift for fire had been strong and perfectly visible. Almost any elemental spell he had ever tried to cast had ended up with something being set of fire. Most elemental practitioners were easily identified. 

Lyndall had been far trickier. Her entire family had always been gifted with that odd branch of magic. Certainly, no one in her family was an elemental. Her mother had been a rather gifted telekinetic. Her father was particularly good haruspex, (someone who could read minds). She even had a cousin who remembered every detail that he saw, read and heard and stored it away in a mental warehouse like that one guy from that Stephen King novel. 

With Lyndall it had not been so clear, partly because her affinity was so odd. Not precise enough to be called clairvoyance but not vague enough to be palm reading. She just… knew. At first, they hadn’t been sure. She had always been a quiet if slightly snarky little girl. She would say rather odd things but nothing too extraordinary. She had a feeling that it would rain, would off handily mention that she got a bad feeling about someone. Sometimes she would scoff at a sports game on the television and say that she didn’t know why the boys were so interested in a particular player when said player was such a klutz…

About five minutes before that player ran into a goal post and broke his leg. 

Yes, Lyndall had been in her late teens when her family finally began to understand that these feelings she had been having were much more then just good instincts. Lyndall just knew. So, when she had looked up at Daniel with those wide terrified eyes and said Adrian’s name, Daniel didn’t bother to ask questions.

“He needs a doctor.” She said, her voice a little hoarse. 

“Shit.” Daniel growled. He fished out his cell phone and passed it to her.

“He has a family doctor. I don’t really remember his name. I think-”

“Doctor Benson, my name is Lyndall Chevalier.” Lyndall had already dialled the number into the phone and was talking. Daniel didn’t say anything, just concentrated on driving. The streets were getting dark. 

“Yes. Yes, that’s right. I’m sorry to call you after closing but we need you help. It’s about Adrian. Yes. No. Yes, we will meet you there.” She ended the call and huddled in her seat. Daniel grit his teeth and drove a little faster. After the day he had he honestly didn’t care if a police officer did try to pull them over.

Doctor Benson look far older then Daniel remembered. The old man seemed to struggle to get out of the car. The first thing they noticed when they got out of their own car was that Adrian’s house wards were down. The only way that was possible was that Adrian must have taken them down himself. Daniel had not bothered to ask Lyndall about why Adrian needed a doctor. He hoped it didn’t have to do with that damn naga. If it did, he wasn’t sure he would be able to control himself. 

If he was right then he was going to hunt down that naga, set his ass on fire and laugh as the fucker burned to death.

The second odd and rather disconcerting thing was the cat sitting outside Adrian’s front door. Daniel had long since gotten used to Prince in the last year. The white little cat had become clingier to Adrian in the last few weeks than ever before. 

This cat was not Prince. It was coal black. Creepily, it had Prince’s mismatched eyes, one blue and the other green. Creepier still, was that Prince was sitting on the hallway table, staring out the little window, his expression identical to the little black cat now looking up at them.

“You’re here already.” Lyndall croaked, confusing him even more because it looked as though she was addressing the damn cat.

“Okay, I’ve been patient enough, what the hell is going on!?” Daniel snapped. Doctor Benson hurried over.

“Let’s worry about that in a minute. Where’s Adrian?” The doctor asked, huffing a little. The little black cat stood as Daniel tried the doorhandle. It was unlocked. Now more worried than ever, he pushed the door open. The black cat whisked inside before he could put a foot out.

“Hey!” He called after it. It and Prince took off down the hall with the fast patter of pawed feet. The small party followed, flicking on lights as they went.

“Adrian?” Daniel called out. His voice echoed a little. It was eerily quiet. They passed the living room. There were two mugs on the kitchen counter as they enter the kitchen. Lyndall brushed on the light and made a noise that was half a gasp, and half a sob. 

Adrian lay crumpled against the entry way into the lounge room. There was a dark smear of blood down the doorframe and more on the ground underneath his head. 

He wasn’t moving. 

“Adrian!” Lyndall and Daniel shouted together. Both cats were sitting beside his still form, staring up at them all with odd dead eyes. Doctor Benson pushed passed them all to kneel beside Adrian. 

“Help me get him to the couch.” The old man said. Daniel stooped and picked Adrian up with distressing ease. Adrian had gotten so thin. Two years ago, he used to be bigger and broader then Daniel. The house was cold. Lyndall rushed over to the fire place and began stacking in fresh timber over the still burning coals. After Daniel laid Adrian down as gently as he could he turned to the cold fireplace and snapped his fingers. A fire roared to light across the fresh wood. 

“I’ll get some towels.” Lyndall said as she rushed out of the room to the linen cupboard down the hall. Desperately needing something to do and painfully aware that he was hovering, Daniel went into the kitchen. The mugs of tea were still on the bench, half drunk. There had definitely been a second person here. 

Gritting his teeth, Daniel carried the mugs to the sink and washed them out. He turned on the kettle and waited for it to boil. It took several long minutes to get his anger back under control before he could somewhat calmly, walk back into the longue room. Lyndall was sitting in the armchair by the fire. Doctor Benson had Adrian under a blanket and was carefully cleaning the wound on the top of his head.

“He has a concussion. The cut is mostly superficial but if there is any sign of swelling we need to get him to a hospital.” The doctor said firmly. Daniel jaw was set in a hard line. Adrian had detested hospitals ever since his family had died and he had needed to identify the bodies.

“I’ll stay with him.” Daniel said finally. Lyndall nodded.

“I will too.” She added. Both Prince and the new cat leapt up onto the couch beside Adrian. Daniel stared at the both.

“Okay, yes, that. Can we talk about that?!” Daniel barked, waving a hand at the two animals. Doctor Benson gave a long sigh.

“Yes.”

“Does Adrian know yet?” Daniel asked sceptically. 

“No. I honestly don’t think he does. I took his blood two weeks ago. Ran the tests. Got the results and then ran them again. I haven’t seen or heard anything like this since I was a boy.”

“There are two of them.” Lyndall whispered. The doctor nodded.

“I wouldn’t have believed it if I wasn’t seeing it. Most likely it is because his family is gone. I have been putting off talking to the lad until I had more answers but honestly the last recorded case of this in this country was from 1934 and it’s been difficult to find the research.” The doctor sat up and stretched.

“We need to tell him.” Daniel said, pointing out the obvious.

“Yes, but not right now. Let him recover first.” 

“Jesus bud, you really do have the worst luck of anyone I know.” Daniel said sadly as he stared down at the limp form of his best friend. Lyndall sniffled.

\--

Adrian woke sluggishly with a splitting headache. Literally. It took a few minutes for the dim light to stop twinkling. He raised a heavy hand and lightly touched the top of his head. There was gauze in the way. He struggled to remember what had happened and why he felt to miserable. The meeting with Owethu. They had talked. And then…

“Adrian!” Lyndall came rushing over from the kitchen doorway. 

“What time is it?” He groaned.

“About one in the morning. Daniel is upstairs asleep in the spare bedroom. Here, slowly.” She urged as he tried to sit up. His legs were awfully heavy. He glanced down to see two pairs of eyes staring back at him. He was seeing double.

“I really hit my head.” He moaned. Lyndall fluffed a pillow and eased it behind his back. 

“You did. Let me get you something to drink.” She rushed away in a flurry of colourful fabric. Adrian’s eyes widen as two cats stood up on his couch. One white, the other black.

“Urhm…” The little black cat was just as small as Prince. It was purring and proceeded to climb up his chest until it was nose to nose with him. 

“Lyndall…” His voice came out a little squeaky. 

“She won’t hurt you. She’s yours.” Lyndall said as she came back in with a glass of orange juice.

“That’s urhm, sweet but I already have a cat.” Adrian said. The black cat poked at his cheek with a wet nose. Lyndall gave him an oddly sad smile.

“And now you have two.” She said matter-of-factly. She handed him the glass. Utterly bewildered and to fuzzy headed to process the information, he just sipped at his water. 

“Adrian, I need to ask you something that you may find uncomfortable.” She said.

“What?” Even to his own ears, his voice sounded slurred and rusty.

“Did Owethu do this to you?” There were tears in her eyes. Real tears. Adrian frowned.

“No. No he didn’t do anything.” The young woman in front of him visibly slumped, relief in ever line of her.

“Thank goodness.” She whispered, a single tear breaking free of her lashes.

“Adrian, I’m so sorry. I could see that the mate bond would help but I couldn’t see how. I never considered how you would feel about any of it. How you might not even want to be that close to someone yet. You must think I’m an awful friend.” She sobbed. Adrian fumbled, trying to simultaneously put down the glass and shoo the cats from his legs. He ended up sort of half flailing and nearly fell off the couch.

“Stop. Lyndall, you are one of the few people who have always been there for me. I was angry, I’m not going to lie but none of this was your fault.” Lyndall dove for him, grabbing him with rib cracking force as she sobbed into his chest. Adrian gathered her in close, absorbing her warmth. 

“Please tell me this isn’t why you felt the need to buy me a second cat.” He said croakily. Slowly, she pulled away from his chest.

“It’s about time we had a conversation about that. With you and with your… mate.” Lyndall wiped her face and stood up, much more of her composed self.

“Get to bed. In the morning, call your new boyfriend and doctor Benson will be back at lunch time. We have a lot to talk about. As for right now, your need bed.” He stared up at her, his mouth hanging open.

“I… what? He’s not my…” wait, was he? Gods, his head hurt.

“Bed. Now.” She barked. With many shoves and several trips over his new almost invisible black cat, Adrian was shunted to his bedroom. After everything that had happened, he didn’t think he would have been able to sleep but somehow, the knowledge that his two best friends were in the same house with him, settled any tension he had. He was asleep again almost as soon as he was under the covers. 

\--

As it turned out Adrian never needed to call Owethu because they had barely gotten dressed and were all standing in the kitchen late in the morning when Adrian turned sharply to face the door, like a stag hearing the breaking of twig. Daniel paused at the toaster, puzzled. Not a moment later there was a sharp and rather violent knock at the door. 

Lyndall had already explained to Daniel that the naga had nothing to do with the… incident as they were currently calling it. Unfortunately, Adrian couldn’t remember much of what happened after Owethu had left which made Daniel deeply distrustful and Lyndall apprehensive. Daniel all but marched to the door. He wrenched the door open and was about to demand some sort of explanation when the enormous naga picked him up! 

Like a fucking toddler! 

Owethu set him off to one side and charged into the house, his pupils snake like slits in his skull. 

“The fuck!?” Daniel roared, taking off after the large dark-skinned man. There was already fire climbing up his wrists and arms as he dashed into the kitchen in pursuit. Owethu seemed to coil around Adrian. Adrian hissed in pain as the large man pulled him back against his broader frame. The blood curdling noise that ripped from Owethu’s throat made all three practitioners freeze.

“What happened?” The south African lilt was far more pronounced in the fury of his low words. Adrian shivered and wiggled to turn around in the painfully tight embrace. 

“I’m okay.” 

“What happened?” The naga snarled. His pupils were a stunning glowing gold in the low morning light of the kitchen. 

“We aren’t sure. Adrian doesn’t have many memories after you left here yesterday afternoon.” Lyndall said carefully. Her voice was level and her palms were raised as though approaching a wild animal. Daniel just glared.

“Besides, if you cared so much, why weren’t you here earlier?” Daniel sneered. Lyndall shot him an exasperated look as Adrian groaned. Owethu hissed, the sound like dry sand and disintegrating bone. The noise was ancient and somehow utterly terrifying. The hairs rose on the top of then human’s arms.

“Please stop. He’s been my friend since we were kids. He’s just protective.” Adrian said. His voice was quiet as he looked up at his mate. A little of the blood fury eased from the naga’s tense powerful frame. The naga didn’t let go though and honestly, Adrian was going to complain over much. Owethu and Daniel stood, glaring daggers at each for for several long awkward minutes.

“This isn’t helping my headache. Doctor Benson will here in an hour and I want breakfast. Lyndall, you do coffee. Owethu has his extra hot with lots of foam. Daniel, toast.” Adrian commanded. Adrian carefully extracted himself from the powerful grip, all be it, mildly reluctant. Owethu hissed again, sounding a lot less deadly and more annoyed.

“I would have been here sooner if not for several break ins on Naga territory last night.” Owethu growled. Adrian frowned.

“Break ins? Does that happen… often?” He asked as he extracted the carton of eggs from the depths of the fridge.

“No. It does not.” The naga said. His expression was fierce. Drawn by the odd sense to sooth the hard lines, Adrian reached out to brush along Owethu’s jaw. 

“Was that fire that was on the news yesterday ruled as an accident?” Lyndall asked Daniel. The fire mage opened his mouth and then closed it. Adrian turned to face them.

“Wait, you’re not saying that they are connected?” He said sharply. Lyndall pulled open the cutlery draw and started to extract knives and forks.

“I’m not sure…. It’s just a feeling I have.” The boy exchanged a look. They knew in general what Lyndall’s feelings meant. Owethu eyed them all with calculated caution. 

“Let’s cook some steaks too. Make it a breakfast, lunch sort of thing.” Adrian said as he dove back into the fridge. 

It was the weirdest affair any of them had ever been in. Owethu did not want to stray far from his mate but his large frame towered over everyone else, much to Daniel’s irritation. Adrian ended up sending him to set the table. Lyndall made a large pot of tea and cups of coffee. She also cut up some fruit that now lay in a large bowl. Daniel was buttered the toast with a little more force then was probably necessary. Several of the pieces now had large holes in them. The steaks sizzled in the pan, filling the house with a mouth-watering aroma as Adrian scrambled the eggs. 

“Do you want me to toast this too?” Daniel asked. Adrian turned around. Daniel was standing over a loaf of pumpkin bread. Adrian frowned, his head aching.

“I…” When had he bought that? Somewhere down by his feet, Prince hissed. The little black cat was looking narrowly at the benchtop. Adrian padded over. He reached out a hand when a far larger one closed over his fingers. Daniel let out any curse as Owethu shunted him out of the way.

“Wait.” The naga’s deep voice cut through Daniel tirade. They all watched as the naga picked up the loaf and sniffed it. He broke off a small piece and bit into the crust.

“This has been heavily dosed. Where did you get it?” Owethu growled. Daniel’s expression was an unguarded mix of shock and vicious delight.

“And you just ate it?” Daniel said to the other man. Adrian sighed.

“Daniel, he’s a naga. They are immune to just about every poison and toxin in existence.” He said. Daniel’s shoulders dropped slightly.

“Oh… that’s… good.” His friend said unconvincingly. The mage and naga were back to glaring at each other again. Adrian pinched the bridge of his nose. This really wasn’t helping his headache. Or his memory for that matter. 

“I can’t remember anything after you left. I think someone came to the front door but I’m not sure who.” He muttered. Owethu made his way back to the front door and spent several long moments passing the little cobblestone foot path. Daniel took the opportunity to take the remains of the pumpkin bread and chuck it into the fireplace. When the naga came back in, Adrian was placing the steaks onto a plate. 

“Who ever it was, they were not of magic blood. Young and male but there is nothing identifying other then that.” He said stoically. He did not look over pleased. 

“Perhaps whoever it was gave the bread to someone else to deliver. Even if they didn’t know about Owethu they must have known that we would look for magical signatures. They could have paid any unsuspecting soul.” Lyndall said with a sigh. Adrian bit the tip of his thumb, thinking. 

“The question is why? Why now? I haven’t done anything.” Adrian said. At least not yet. He was planning on helping the naga clan. Could that have something to do with this? As he sat down at the dining table, the others joined him. He looked expectantly at the seat next to him and after several estranged moments, Owethu took the hint and sat down.

“Eat.” Adrian murmured, pushing the plate of steaks towards the man. Owethu gave him a pointed look that would have translated to something like ‘speak for yourself’ but nevertheless, began to take food. 

“Your appearance at the conference was a bit of shock to some people.” Lyndall said as she added a thick layer of strawberry jam to her toast.

“It was?” Adrian said, surprised. 

“Yes. Aemele was very surprised to see you. She wasn’t the only one. After your family passed, I think quite a few people forgot that there was still a living heir to the Blackthorn name in the country.” She explained. Adrian chewed on his mouthful of toast and eggs. It gave him time to think. He had done a good job of staying out of the public eye since his parent’s death. 

“There’s to many unknowns and not enough to go on.” Daniel grumbled. Adrian nodded in agreement. 

“For starters, I’m going to set up some surveillance spells around here and find out who’s been poking around.” Adrian said tersely. As he said that a memory or… half of a memory crept into his mind. The sound of breaking glass… 

Had he imagined it? Nothing in the kitchen was broken but then the sigils around his house were designed to repairs basic superficial damage. Surely there would be glass on the floor of the kitchen though?

“Did you guys clean up any broken glass last night?” Adrian asked. Both Lyndall and Daniel shook their heads.

“No, why?” Lyndall asked. Adrian rose from his chair and padded back into the kitchen. Owethu followed close behind him. He looked about him but couldn’t see anything out of the ordinary. The blinds across the top of the window did look a little askew… 

He leaned over the sink and peered out the window. Then he frowned. There was something shiny glittering in the sun. He dashed out the back door and into the garden, the other three following him. There, scattered across the lawn were little pieces of glass. 

“Wait, what?” Daniel spluttered. Adrian knelt down and picked up a large shard, studying it. The sigils had repaired the window but what it didn’t explain was how the window had seemingly broken outwardly into the garden instead of breaking into the kitchen. He looked up. 

Prince sat on the kitchen window sill, staring at them. Adrian turned back to his friends. Owethu was staring, his mouth partly open at the white cat. Daniel was grinding his teeth and Lyndall looked decidedly resigned. 

“Can someone please explain to me what the hell is going on?” Adrian barked. The naga turned his head sharply to look at the other two.

“He can’t tell?” The naga snapped, his deep tone angry. Lyndall shook her head.

“I’m afraid not.”

“Tell what!?” Adrian shouted. Before they could reply a much older voice called over the fence:

“Adrian, is that you my boy?” They all paused as Doctor Benson knocked on the gate.

“You having incredible timing.” Lyndall said brightly as she let the old man into the back yard.

“We have a lot of explaining to do.” She sighed. Adrian looked from one of them to the other. 

“By all means.” He snapped. He allowed himself to ushered back inside and back to the living room table to their abandoned breakfast. The little black cat was helping herself to Owethu’s abandoned coffee. Shockingly, the naga didn’t seem keen to shoo the diminutive creature away. Adrian flopped down into his chair. He waited until fresh tea was made and Doctor Benson joined them. 

“There isn’t a short way to explain all this but I’m glad you are all here. I would say it is safe to presume you are the bonded mate?” The doctor asked the dark-skinned man. Owethu nodded stoutly. 

“Good. It will be easier to explain it with you both together. Get comfortable my boy because this is going to take some time.” He paused to sip his tea. Adrian was practically vibrating in his seat.

“Tell me, young Blackthorn, how much do you remember about familiars?” Adrian blinked.

“Huh?”

\--

END

\--


	9. The Tale of Two

\--

Chapter Nine  
The Tale of Two

\--

“Familiars.” Doctor Benson said. The room had gone tensely still with the exception of the little black cat that was lapping at the foam on top of Owethu’s coffee cup.

“Familiars? You mean like, a witch’s crow or a necromancer’s hellhound?" Adrian said.

“Well yes. Those are examples of familiars. They are a real entity.” The old man said. Adrian frowned, not understanding.

“I’ve heard that really powerful practitioners have familiars but they are few and far between, like one in every major city, few and far between! What has that got to do with me?” He spluttered. Lyndall sighed.

“Come on, isn’t it obvious? Honey, Prince is your familiar. The other one two.” She said. At this, Adrian threw up his hands.

“Okay, now I know you guys are having a laugh. No one has two familiars! Only legends like Merlin and Stephen the Strange had two familiars and they lived hundreds of years ago!”

Doctor Benson coughed and pulled out a pair of reading glass from his coat pocket. He put them on and rested his brief case on the table. When the latches unclipped, he pulled out several pieces of paper.

“To be more accurate, the last time two familiars were recorded was an alchemist in 1934 by the name of Rosery Evans. She was incredible powerful, surpassing anyone in her branch of magic at the time. She had an owl as her familiar at the age of nine. She received a second familiar, a badger, when she turned twenty-one.” The doctor read from the page. Adrian blinked, stunned.

“What happened to her?” Daniel asked. Doctor Benson hesitated.

“What?” Adrian urged.

“She passed away in her early thirties. Suicide. She became rather… unstable in later years.” He swallowed nervously.

“She went insane?” Adrian wanted clarification. The doctor winced.

“To be put bluntly, yes. There is another case in China during the Qing Dynasty of a nobleman born with two familiars. He was an elemental mage and had two different species of snake. That was roughly two hundred years ago.”

“How did he die?” Adrian asked before the man could go on.

“He was killed in his mid-twenties.” Daniel shared a suspicious glance with him.

“That seems young.” Adrian pressed. The doctor sighed heavily, placing the paper on the table.

“The documentation I was able to find wasn’t particularly detailed but from what I could tell, his servants rebelled against him after his decisions became erratic and dangerous.” Owethu gave a low hiss.

“The man lost his sanity.” The naga snapped. Doctor Benson nodded. Adrian felt his stomach clench.

“Two familiars are not uncommon amongst old powerful bloodlines. The Blackthorn family tree is one of the oldest on this continent. As for the loss of mental cognition, I don’t believe this will happen to you.” The doctor said. Adrian’s hands balled into fists.

“And why is that?” He hissed. A strong hand reached out and squeezed his shoulder. Adrian jumped. Owethu had come to stand beside him. Some of the fear and anger died away a little. The first real smile appeared shyly on the doctor’s face, the lines around his eyes deeply set.

“Because you have him.” He said simply. Lyndall was smiling now too.

“I knew you two needed each other, that you were good for each other. I just wasn’t completely sure how.” She said brightly. 

“To be fair, any practitioner has the opportunity to form a bond with a familiar. That time usually comes when he or she goes through their teenage years. When they come into their power and discover their affinity, this flux creates an imbalance. Normally, the student matures, learns control and the flux is solved. A familiar is never needed.” Doctor Benson continued. Adrian shook his head.

“I came into my affinity years ago.” He argued. The old man nodded.

“Yes and no. Your father expressed concerns that he thought your powers were still growing. Unfortunately, the most common way a practitioner finds balance is with family. Instead of stabilising, the loss of your family worsened your imbalance. Truthfully, I do believe you would have had a familiar even if your family had not perished but your second familiar is here now because you do not. You need them both to cope.”

“This is nuts.” Daniel breathed.

“His loss of control with his magic, that was not caused by our bond?” Owethu murmured. The Doctor shook his head again.

“I don’t believe so.” The black cat was apparently done eating all the foam it could reach in the naga’s coffee cup. She padded wet paws across the table and sat down in front of Adrian. Her glittering mismatched eyes peered up at him expectantly. Slowly, he reached out a hand to her. The cat purred and placed her fluffy chin in his hand. His brain was working very slowly, or very fast. He wasn’t quite sure.

His father had known that his powers were still growing… how long had he known? Were there records in his family’s immense collection of other people with two familiars? He thought about all the boxes he hadn’t opened, of all the boxes still at the estate. Were there more people like Adrian far back in the Blackthorn family tree?

“Did my father bring this up with anyone else?” Adrian asked. Doctor Benson shrugged uncomfortably.

“He mentioned that he had discussed it, exactly with whom he never confided and I never asked.”

“I’m afraid that’s not all.” Doctor Benson said. Daniel snorted.

“Of course, it isn’t.” He muttered bitterly.

“I know you treasure your privacy and I would never do anything to jeopardise your safety but I must report this to the council.” Adrian head snapped up again.

“What!? Why?” He barked, feeling his skin crawl. Owethu has stiffened beside him. The atmosphere was suddenly thick.

“It’s not his fault. Any practitioner to have a familiar is put on record. Anyone with two must be put on the public record. If anyone found out that we didn’t inform the council, Doctor Benson wouldn’t just lose his job, he would be arrested and so would we.” Lyndall said softly.

“That’s bullshit! He’d be dragged straight back into the spotlight again! They would want to run tests. Everyone would know where he is! What if they decide to take him away?” Daniel shouted. Adrian felt cold. His stomach churned and little breakfast he had eaten was threatening to come back up. An image of men in black robes coming to his door in the middle of the night, of people with cameras, of the council coming for his friends…

He bent over in his chair, trying the breath. The back of his chair gave a loud crack as the grip the naga had on the timber tightened. Owethu was vibrating beside him. He knew without looking the naga was livid. Lyndall nodded, her face sad but stern. Daniel opened his mouth to keep ranting when the Doctor raised his hand.

“This isn’t as black and white as it appears. There is a silver lining to this situation.” He said.

“And what is that?” Owethu hissed. To everyone’s surprise, the old man had a rather sly smile.

“I confess I am no fan of the council. There’s nothing worse than old politicians then old politicians that can perform magic. However, for all their stubbornness, they are bound to the old ways and there is nothing older in this world then a mate bond. They may demand proof, they may log your name and make a big fuss but the truth is, they don’t have command over you because as the fated mate of a naga, the naga clan has equal jurisdiction.” Silence fell over the table. Adrian glanced up at the dark-skinned man beside him.

“I know its only been one night but I don’t suppose you’ve given any more thought to my offer to work with your clan?” Adrian asked ruefully. Owethu looked down at him and finally cracked a sliver of a smirk.

“Obviously I don’t have much of a choice. I’m hardly going to hand over my mate to a group of doddering old humans.” The naga said. Adrian smiled. Owethu still barely knew him. Their relationship was newer then the one Adrian had with the bloody barista at his favourite coffee shop. He wondered what his involvement would mean for Owethu. Would the other nagas challenge Owethu for his rank? The man had said that his own species would see Adrian as weakness. He bit his lip.

“I won’t be a burden for you.” Adrian added bitterly, his smile fading. The naga placed a large hand over his own, hunching over the table slightly.

“Is all this why you took so long in getting back to us?” Daniel asked Doctor Benson.

“Yes. I told my assistant I was taking a few sick days. I needed to be sure, needed to collect as much information I could before I came to find you. I can’t put the council off much further. Those blood tests, under magical testing, reveal your rank as one of the most powerful practitioners in the country. I can’t put off handing those result over.”

“Most powerful in the country?” Daniel was doing a good impression of a British young lady with how high his voice was getting.

“I never asked for any of this.” Adrian sighed. He rubbed at his eyes, suddenly feeling drained.

“How much more time can you give me?” He asked.

“Another day but that’s all I can do.” Doctor Benson looked as worn out as Adrian felt.

“One day?” Adrian rasped. The man nodded.

“We will work with it.” Owethu said, his deep voice resonating in the room.

“If it’s alright with everyone and you don’t have any more bombshells for me, I think I need some time to process all this.” Adrian said. The old doctor rose from the chair, groaning. Daniel and Lyndall started cleaning away the plates. Prince swiped a piece of abandoned toast as Adrian stood. He had never been so grateful for his friends.

“Do you want me to leave?” Owethu murmured. Adrian looked up at him, at the towering broad frame and dark skin stretched over powerful muscles. Even a week ago, the sight of the naga would have unsettled him. He still wasn’t comfortable with his magic. Knowing that he had a second familiar didn’t ease those concerns.

“Please don’t.” He whispered. He reached out and grabbed hold of the massive hand. Owethu nodded. They both watched the others collect jackets and brief cases. After final goodbye and horrendously awkward glares shared between his best friend and his mate, Owethu and Adrian were left in the house alone.

“I’m sorry for dragging you into all of this.” Adrian said, talking down to the man’s shoes. Owethu made a noise that could have been a snort.

“Apparently I’m bonded to one of the richest and most powerful practitioners in the country. I could think of worse candidates.” Owethu said, amusement in his deep voice.

“I’m human.” Adrian said flatly.

“Yes, well, there is that. I suppose I can’t hold that against you forever.” The naga said with a slight smirk. Finally, Adrian grinned.

“You are such an ass.” He muttered. Perhaps it was because he was feeling so raw because Adrian threw caution to the wind as he reached up. He felt the naga tense as his lips met the other’s. There was barely a moment’s pause before the older man was pressing down on him, into him. The kiss was hard and perfectly thorough. Sharp fangs worried his lips as an equally sharp tongue ran along his.

Adrian had never felt so skin hungry. The noises that came from his throat were near pathetic, begging sounds. Powerful hands shoved him back down onto the couch and he went without a fight, his own hands tangled in the naga’s shirt.

His stomach flipped as his sluggish brain caught up with what they were doing. He shivered nervously as Owethu pulled his shirt over his head. He was remembering too, that book he had found in the library. Strong fingers fisted in his hair.

“Owethu.” His voice didn’t have much purchase though. The air was filled with a venomous hiss, immediately setting his nerves on edge. This was dangerous. The man could seriously injure him. 

“Sit up.” He tried to keep his voice steady, like his heart was pounding a mile a minute. Owethu made noise akin to a growl but retreated from Adrian’s space. Grasping his courage, Adrian slowly pushed the naga back until Owethu sat on the couch. He climbed onto the man’s lap. His cheeks heated at the hard press of something hot against his own groin. He looked down.

“Oh wow.” Okay, so not the smoothest thing he could have said. Owethu raised one eye brow.

“Is there a problem?” His voice was almost a growl.

“You are… urhm, in proportion.” He squeaked. The naga smirked.

“Are you not in proportion?” He replied mockingly. Son of a-

“Shut up.” Adrian snapped, his face burning. The man chuckled, a deep rich sound that made his body shiver in a way that had nothing to do with the room temperature. With slightly unsteady fingers, he unbuttoned the man’s shirt. His own erection was starting to become rather painful in the confines of his pants.

Adrian ran his hands over the dark skin, feeling the solid smooth muscle. He swallowed. This would be nothing like fooling around with Liam in high school. Owethu was an adult. A man many years older then him and with a lot more experience. He was both nervous and excited with a healthy dose of fear. Adrian was human and despite his abilities as a sorcerer there was no ignoring the fact that Owethu could crush his bones as easily as an egg shell.

Owethu unbuttoned his own pants. Yes, the man’s cock was definitely in proportion to his massive frame. Fascinated by the dark skin and flushed cap, Adrian reached for it. He wrapped his fingers around its girth, feeling it pulse slightly in his hand. Owethu hissed softly, scenting Adrian’s neck. He ran his fingers of the velvety skin, running a thumb over the cap and catching a bead of moisture there. Strong fingers grabbed him by the hips and dug in hard.

Really hard.

Adrian gave a small gasp of pain. His body tensed but the naga didn’t relinquish his hold. Owethu’s eyes were completely snake like, the pupils nothing but thin slits in thick pools of gold.

“Let me.” Adrian whispered. Slowly, very slowly, the fingers relaxed their grip. He knew he had bruises without looking down. Fumbling with his fly, he freed his own erection. He glanced nervously around the room. He had lube in his bedroom. He wondered briefly if Owethu would let him go and get it…

He shifted his weight experimentally and the feral noise that came from the naga’s throat made him freeze in place.

Okay.

That was a no.

He swallowed once, hesitating but he spat into his palm. Not exactly sexy but he doubted his mate was going to care. He reached down and grabbed both of their shafts. Adrian had never considered himself small but in comparison to Owethu it was almost comical. His hand didn’t exactly fit around them both but the sight of the pale flesh next to deep chocolate brown was incredibly sexy. Licking his lips, Adrian slowly began to stroke them both, twisting his wrist.

It felt more then just good. This was day of tension coming to a crescendo. Something deep inside seemed to click into place. All the worry, all the stress, all the anxiety of the outside world and what it could do to him melted away leaving just the two of them in this one perfect moment and place. Heat coiled in his groin. The muscles under his thighs shifted as he worked hand. He spat again into his palm as the naga purred.

The naga’s hand returned, still strong, still dominate but thankfully not as painful. Owethu’s fingers buried themselves in Adrian’s hair and as he jerked them off with firm slick strokes, his head was tugged back. Adrian gave a ragged groan as pointed teeth found the soft skin of his throat and neck. Owethu groaned through a mouthful of sharp clenched teeth. His arm wrapped about Adrian’s hips, pulling him closer, almost crushing them together. Adrian panted, his hand working faster. Sweat shone across the dark-skinned chest and Adrian drank in the sight like a man lost in the desert. A spike of arousal shot straight to his cock at a particularly hard bite from Owethu’s teeth.

Adrian leant in, desperate for more contact. He could feel his own orgasm drawing close with alarming speed. Owethu, abandoning his neck, kissed him hard drawing a breathy whimper from Adrian’s throat. Pre-cum leaked from the tips of their cocks, making each stroke slipperier. His hips thrust up. He felt dizzy. Desperate.

“I… I’m.” Adrian whimpered.

“Show me.” Owethu demanded, hissing the words into his ear before taking the earlobe into his mouth and sucking hard on it.

“Oh fuck!” Adrian’s hips surged up. His cum splattered hot and thick over their bellies. Adrian kept stroking them both though. His pace was almost brutal. Owethu hadn’t come yet. He kept going, whimpering at the slight pain that came from punishing his own over sensitised cock. The naga hissed deeply, jerking. Second later the slickness between doubled as Owethu came in several long thick streams.

He exhaled hard against the naga’s throat, feeling the powerful frame shuddering underneath him. They sat for a long time, breathing the same air, still held tightly together. Owethu’s cologne and sweat steadily ingrained itself into Adrian’s brain. He shivered.

“Sleep here tonight?” He said haltingly.

“Yes.” Came the deep reply. When they finally separated, they made their way to the bathroom. Adrian dismounting with all the grace of a three-legged goat and probably would have fallen flat on his face if Owethu had not grabbed his upper arm just in time. They shared a long hot shower. Slow strokes, warm breath and firm touches followed as they washed each other.

It was with visible effort that Owethu drew away several times, his eyes a little too focused on arteries in Adrian’s throat. The threat was still there. The danger still very real as the deep purple bruises already visible on Adrian’s hips would attest. He didn’t mind though. Not now. He felt slightly drunk, like that wonderful floaty sensation before the nausea sets in.

Together they dried off and dressed, neither bothering with a shirt. Owethu watched, eyes and instincts fixed on his mate’s rather slender hips and ass as the young man padded back down the corridor. He was to thin but that could be remedied. Owethu felt a protectiveness that had rarely afflicted him since he and his youngest sister were hatchlings. The idea that any humans would take his mate… well, let them try. Their blood would mark his newest territory in this city.

That afternoon was wonderfully comfortable. Owethu added logs to the dying fire as Adrian turned on the television to a nature documentary to add a little noise to the otherwise quiet background. The cats curled up on the couch together as Adrian dug out two steaks from the fridge. Owethu said very little. He looked with mild interest at the various art gallery catalogues. He watched as Adrian peeled the potatoes and carrots. The silence they had was companionable rather then awkward.

The smell of butter, garlic and rosemary wafted from the oven from the roasting vegetables. Owethu did not cook for himself. At his rank, his apartment in the massive skyscraper his clan owned was fully serviced. He only had to make a phone call for the kitchen to bring him food. That was if he even stayed in the tower.

It was oddly pleasant to sit and watch his mate cook.

The boy had good taste.

For a human.

The house was artfully decorated. Smooth timber furniture, soft rugs over wooden floors and several small sculptures in glass, bronze and marble lay about on display. The scent of the home was of orange blossoms, wood polish and fabric softener. This house felt alive, lived in and warm. A far cry from his own cold and sterile apartment. Though worth a couple of million, he wasn’t even sure he had changed the damn furniture that had come with the building. It still looked exactly like the photos taken on the apartment’s real-estate website.

“There is a cabinet over there if you want to pick something to drink.” Adrian said softly. The practitioner wasn’t one to fill silences. Owethu appreciated that quality in his mate. He nodded and made his way to a crystal and oakwood cabinet by the fireplace. Inside was several bottles of liquor, some cheap, others not. He picked up one bottle with raised brows. It was clearly several decades old and probably belonged to the boy’s father. He placed it respectfully back in the cabinet and selected a decanter of scotch. He poured himself a glass and then, regarding Adrian for a moment, poured a second.

“Thank you.” Adrian said as the naga presented the small tumbler. He placed it on the counter top and reached for the taller man. The kiss Adrian asked for was gentler, lacking in the hunger and more intimate. Adrian melted against his taller frame, tucking himself against Owethu’s chest.

“Thanks for staying. Dinner will be ready soon.” Adrian murmured. The naga nodded and kissed the boy’s forehead in an uncharacteristically affectionate gesture. The boy carried himself back to the stove top, turning the steaks in the pan. They sat side by side at the dining table to eat. It was surprisingly easy to do. When Owethu lay down on the large bed beside Adrian hour later, the lights turned off and the house quiet, Adrian had never felt so incredibly whole and content. He tucked himself into the man’s side and Owethu draped an arm over the boy’s waist.

He regarded the boy, now asleep against him. Tomorrow, he would have to bring him to the tower, to meet their leader. He could only hope the boy would survive the meeting.

\--

END

\--


	10. The Naga’s Nest

\--

Chapter Nine  
The Naga’s Nest

\--

When Adrian woke the next morning, he wasn’t entirely sure where he was. Like an odd sort of dream where your house suddenly had extra room or pink carpet, his surroundings felt oddly alien. It was then he realized that there was an extra body beside him and the blankets which were normally tossed off in the middle of the night, were still tucked warmly around him.

Memories of the day before flooded back to him. He felt the heat rise in his cheeks at the memory of what he and Owethu had done. The naga had stay the night. The thick arm that lay tight across Adrian’s torso had apparently stopped his usual tossing and turning. There had been no nightmares. No scent of melting tar, sound of scrapping metal or sight of faceless people in black robes. He had slept all the way through the night comfortably and dreamlessly for the first time in over a year. 

He felt the man behind him shift.

“Good morning.” Adrian propped himself up on one elbow as the arm retracted. Owethu sat up, the blankets pooling at his waist to show off a chest that was all dark skin and cut muscles. Adrian stared greedily. That man was supposed to be his life partner. The other cleared his throat, drawing his eyes up to his face.

“Unless you intend to start something right here and now, I suggest you put your eyes back in and get dressed. We have places to be.” Owethu growled. He didn’t sound annoyed, but his eyes were narrowed and those snake-like pupils staring. Embarrassed and more than a little aroused, Adrian scrambled from the bed into the bathroom, pretending his cock wasn’t pointing the way. 

He splashed cold water over his face a few times. The morning was proving to be sunny and bright. There was a chill wind rattling the windows, but the sky was cloudless. 

“Where are we going?” Adrian called as he relieved himself. He could hear the faint rustling of fabric and guessed the naga was getting dressed. He didn’t get a reply though. He sighed and spent some time attempting to comb his hair into something a little more reasonable. He was just turning his head to see how successful he had been when he froze. 

A clear memory was coming back to him from the day before. 

Concussion… he had one those yesterday. He had completely forgotten over the bombshell of information and the arrival of Doctor Benson. 

He ran his hand timidly over the back of his skull. He expected a sharp flair of pain but there was nothing. He hadn’t felt any pain the night before when he and Owethu had… well. He stared at his own stunned face in the mirror as his fingers slide over his scalp. There was not even a bump from where he had connected with the door frame. 

Practitioners often had accelerated healing. It was part of the reason that they often had longer life spans then regular humans. That wasn’t new information, but this was a whole new level of madness. 

There was a sudden thundering of small paws as two blurred furry objects vaulted down the corridor. The cats were awake. Adrian sighed again at the joint yowls that followed. 

“I’m going to have to buy another cat bowl.” He muttered. He followed the sounds of yowling out into his kitchen where he opened two packets of wet food for his demanding felines, one into Prince’s bowl and the other onto a saucer. 

“We still have to think of a name for you.” Adrian muttered as the sleek black feline dipped her head to eat. 

“Later. We need to go.” Owethu said from the corridor. Adrian frowned. 

“What’s the hurry? I haven’t even had any coffee yet.” He grumbled. The dark-skinned man didn’t elaborate, only pulled on his coat. He wasn’t even looking at him. Just when he thought they were making progress…

“The driver is waiting for us.” Owethu said. Adrian froze, his hand outstretched for a mug.

“Driver!? What driver?” 

“The one I called whilst you were wasting time in the bathroom.” Owethu headed to the front door, standing there expectantly. Adrian opened his mouth and then closed it again. 

“Do you want to elaborate?” He snapped tartly. The naga opened the door. An icy wind blew in from the bright day outside. Adrian shivered. 

“I will explain on the way.” Owethu said in his deep voice. With little other choice, Adrian pulled on his own coat and reluctantly followed his mate out the door. The protective shields guarding the house snapped brightly into place behind them as the exited down the little cobblestone path. It was oddly frustrating. He had thought the two of them had been making decant headway especially after yesterday but the naga seemed to have reverted to his indifferent tone and Adrian wasn’t sure why.

A sleek silver car waited for them at the end of the driveway. He didn’t need to walk around it to know that it was expensive. He was glad none of his neighbours were out and about yet. He frowned as an elderly man in a black suit got out of the driver’s side and opened Owethu’s door for him before hurrying around to Adrian’s side. 

“This really isn’t necessary.” He grumbled. The old man ignored the comment and gave an extravagant little bow as he swept open the door for Adrian to climb in. He sighed weakly and sat down of the plush leather seat.

“This shouldn’t be so strange for you. You come from a family of high breeding.” Owethu stated. Adrian’s expression was immediately bitter. 

“We only had a driver for special occasions. We didn’t live to flaunt our wealth.” Adrian said rather nastily. His wealth had become a sour topic for him especially after the passing of his family. He still got frequent letters from distant relatives demanding his attention and support. As though they had been supporting him at any given time. Perhaps sensing the testy mood, Owethu didn’t comment any further.

They travelled in silence for more than fifteen minutes before the human tore a rather brooding gaze away from the window.

“You said you would explain on the way.” Adrian reminded the man seated beside him. 

“I imagine that by the end of today, anyone of any real importance will have been informed of your secondary familiar. We need to get your connection my clan established as soon as possible. To do that, you must meet our don.” Owethu said steadily. Adrian shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

“Would it be safe to assume your don is the leader of your clan? Your grandfather?” The naga nodded.

“Yes. He is the strongest of our particular linage. He will decide if you become part of the clan.” Owethu continued. He wasn’t meeting Adrian’s gaze.

“Is that likely?” Adrian asked nervously. His mate gave a slight shrug.

“Nothing of this nature has ever occurred to one of my kind. It is difficult to say how he will react.” Adrian watched the man’s face carefully.

“But if you had to give your best guess, what would you say?” He pressed. Something that could have been worry passed briefly on Owethu’s features before the naga straightened again.

“Strategically, he could see the benefit of having a powerful practitioner so close to the clan. Naga rarely have allies.” He said, considering. Adrian raised an eyebrow.

“But?” 

“He may also consider you and the trouble you may bring us to not be worth the clan’s effort. He may not wish to deal with the inevitable human politics. I don’t know.” That lilt in the man’s voice was deeper and more pronounced. Adrian had never seen the naga uneasy before. It didn’t particularly help with Adrian’s own feelings of nervousness. He sighed. 

“How do I address him, your grandfather? What are the customs? How does an outsider usually greet your kind in your own territory?” He asked. Owethu wasn’t quite able to suppress the small smile. He was pleased that his human mate would ask such questions. It showed that the boy had common sense if nothing else.

“I will go in first and speak with him. I will introduce you. You will come in and hold out your hands, palm up. Try, if you can, not to show fear. He does not tolerate weakness. He will want to ask you questions. If you lie, he will kill you.” Owethu said. His tone was blunt. Matter-of-fact. 

Adrian blinked.

“Naga can tell when people lie?” He didn’t remember reading that in his grandfather’s book. 

“Yes. It is a skill that our species have long since used.” Owethu was gazing out the window as the car took a left down another winding street. 

“It is customary to bring an offering but in the current circumstances, we do not have time to organise something.” He murmured. Adrian frowned.

“That’s not entirely true. Leave that bit to me.” The practitioner said. 

“This is not a game. Our bond has not truly been set. I will not be able to protect you from him.” Owethu growled, now looking at him again. Adrian leant forward in his seat. 

“Would you defend me if it was?” He asked.

Owethu said nothing. 

\--

They had spent the rest of the car journey in tense silence. The car drove into an underground carpark of a massive building. As buildings go, it was fairly unobtrusive from the outside. It was just as tall as many of the other sky scrapers with a modern design of dark metal and layers of glass, it could have been just another government building filled with offices. 

The car was slowed and three separate sliding security gates were passed. The first required a card swipe, the second, a hand print. The third gate was stationed with a guard who sidled up to the driver’s side and exchanged a few short words. From the glowing eyes in the darkness, Adrian guessed the man was a naga. He raised an eyebrow. 

“We have survived by staying vigilant.” Owethu said in response to his surprise. Adrian suppressed the urge to ask who would be stupid enough to sneak int a building filled with ancient man-eating snake people that could smell deception. The car slowly moved down into the bowels of the carpark and stopped outside two massive elevator doors. Adrian climbed out before the man could run around to his side. Owethu gave the man a curt nod and the driver climbed back into the car and drove away.

Owethu stepped up to the elevator and the doors slid silently open. With a shiver of apprehension, Adrian followed the naga inside. The dark-skinned man turned to a touch screen in the wall and punched in a code. It must have been long because it took several seconds. The elevator started to move. Adrian bit his lip. He waited for the other man to say something, but he didn’t. 

They travelled in eerily silence as the elevator went up and up and up.

Adrian's first impression as the metal doors slid open was of a dark rabbit warren. Cluttered, seemingly incomprehensible and massive, the room stretched out in front of them like an immense labyrinth of the very old. He felt oddly small and discombobulated. The air was dense and warm. The lights were dim. The massive windows had all been blocked out with thick heavy blinds. He felt rather then saw the imposing figure in the heart of the massive room. 

As his eyes adjusted to the gloom, the true weirdness of the space struck him. Not a single thing matched. Every armchair was a different fabric, every side table a different height. Even the few scattered lamps were all made of different glass, ceramic or porcelain. The towering bookcases stuck out at odd angels, some a deep mahogany, others a pale pine. Adrian paused on the threshold, waiting for Owethu to announce they had arrived. His skin was prickling. 

The hair on the back of his arms and neck was standing on end. There was something very dangerous and very old in this space. A decanter of something that looked uncomfortably like congealed blood stood nearby on a scuffed coffee table. He tried not to look at it. His throat had become rather dry. 

The tall figure in the centre of the room turned to face them. When it stood, its frame seemed to rise higher than anything in the space. It moved and Adrian held in a yelp as several armchairs at least ten meters away from the creature trembled as though nudged by a long thick tail. His ears burned, picking out the sound of shifting in the dark. Something smooth and heavy was being pulled along the black marble floor.

"You have brought me a human." The voice resonated off the back of Adrian's skull. It was even deeper than his grandsons with that same south African lilt. 

"Yes. He is Adrian Blackthorn. He is a practitioner." The slithering sound seemed to be coming from all around them. Adrian had to resist the powerful urge to step backwards towards the elevator. At any rate, the doors had long since closed and he didn't know the pass code to make them open again. Owethu gave him a pointed look and Adrian held out his hands, palms up like he had been told. 

“A practitioner... and why, my grandson, have you brought me a human practitioner?" The man hissed. Owethu seemed to shift on the spot. His expression in the dark was blank. Show no fear. It seemed the rule applied not only to Adrian. 

There was a long silence. 

"He is my fated mate." Owethu said. The shifting sound stopped. Adrian could hear his own deep breathes. His fingers tingled with magic, like static electricity. It was his own instinctive reaction to danger.

And they were in danger. He felt that intrinsically. Taking a chance, he stepped forward. Owethu shot him a quick warning look and he stopped. 

“Is he now?... A human...” Another pause. Another shift of something massive in the half darkness. 

“Yes.” Owethu confirmed though it seemed needless. Adrian opened his mouth to speak but the man beside gave him another sharp angry look and the words died in his throat. 

“Have you brought him here for me to sever the bond? Is he a gift for our feast tomorrow night?" A sickening mixture of shock and nausea swept up Adrian from his feet. 

Sever the bound? 

Feast?

The killing of humans by supernatural creatures for consumption was, of course, illegal. It had been for nearly a hundred years. He wasn’t stupid enough to think that it didn’t still happen, unseen by the public and unknown by the council of practitioners or the human police. Besides, there was always loopholes in the law. He tried not to look fearful as he glanced towards Owethu. The younger naga seemed to be searching for the best answer. 

“His is my mate sir. He has power.” Owethu said in his blandest voice. 

“Power…” The old naga let out the word like a death rattle. 

“He could be useful to the clan.” Owethu retorted into the dead silence that followed. The shadow cast statue made a thin noise of disgust.

“Be sure you have your priorities in order my caporegime. A human could never be of any real usefulness. Be sure you remember where your loyalty lies. No one in my clan is irreplaceable.” The man in the dark said. Annoyance sparked to life in Adrian’s chest. He used it to battle down the fear. He took another step forward and this time, he ignored Owethu’s glare.

“That would include yourself.” Adrian said. He was internally impressed when his voice came out strong. He sounded like a man instead of a boy. He couldn’t see his mate’s face now, but he could feel the man’s eyes burning into the back of his skull and feel his tension across their weak link. He dropped his hands.

“Blackthorn, was it? It has been a long time since a Blackthorn entered my home."

“The last time being my grandfather.” Adrian didn’t know that of course. It was a guess. From what little record he could find, Owethu’s clan was the oldest and only naga clan in this part of the country. His grandfather got his information from the source. He could only hope his hunch were correct.

Adrian felt that there were hundreds of eyes watching him, not just two. One entry by his grandfather had described how it was more important how he spoke rather then what he actually said when it came to conversing with naga. The impression of power was everything. 

Slowly, the figure in the dark started to move forward. There was no step of boots on marble. His large frame did not move up and down but glided forward. Adrian had to fight down a yell as the light finally illuminated the battle scared chest and coils of the enormous, well-muscled naga. There was no pretence of human form, from the mid waist down, the grey hair male was a thickly coiled pale brown patterned serpent. 

The scales were glossy. As he looked, there was no real tells to just how old this naga was except for the shot grey hair and the mass of scars that told of hundreds of battles. Adrian took in the completely blank milky eyes of the naga and realisation dawned on him. 

The man was blind.

“I see the arrogance of your family has bled down the generations. Why should I allow a human into my clan?” the old man hissed. Adrian squared his shoulders. It takes a strange amount of effort to walk towards danger. Like the brain reacting to a flailing madman, he didn’t want to go toward this creature but he needed to. 

“Because.” 

“I can do this.” He heard Owethu inhale sharply as Adrian went forward. His magic seeping into the atmosphere, Adrian reached out a hand to touch those glittering scarred scales. The movement was almost too fast to see, too fast to react to. If he had been relying on his muscles, he would have dead, the marble painted red. 

The claws came down through the air with the finality of a guillotine. His shield rose to meet it. The power of the blow nearly buckled Adrian’s knees. Sparks exploded in the dim room like the bright flare of children’s sparklers. He had to weave fast to disperse the intense kinetic energy of the downwards blow. He became aware that the man hadn’t really struck with his full force. He probably hadn’t thought he would need to. His ears were ringing as the shield folded around like a rock against a tidal wave. 

Seconds stretched. The room was silent. Somewhere far away there was the distant rattle of air vents. Adrian steadied himself and straightened up, trying his best hide the shaking in his legs. He felt as though he had been hit by a truck on the highway.

“I am the greatest shield castor in over a hundred years. You and yours can become untouchable. All you have to do is vow to return the favour. I seek solace in your clan.” He said. He was mildly proud when his voice didn’t shake. It should of. His whole ribcage ached. 

The old naga was studying him intensely, those glassy eyes unblinking. Sweat trickled uncomfortably down the back of Adrian’s neck, soaking into his shirt. 

“Why?” The word was a breathy hiss. It made the air stand up along his arms.

“All practitioners answer to the council of elder practitioners. That is common knowledge. If a practitioner should become a potential threat to the community, they are brought forward for questioning. The Blackthorn name is about to become public and I will become the target of my own kind.” Adrian said. 

“Why?” He swallowed. He didn’t even know if this would mean anything to the old naga.

“Do the nagas know the history of familiars?” He didn’t dare turn his head to look at Owethu. He had the horrible inkling that exposing his neck would be too tempting a target. To his relief the old naga gave a small nod.

“Familiars are entities capable of holding and transmitting magic that the human holds in excess.” The explanation was better than Adrian expected. It was actually better than his own description. He nodded woodenly. 

“Yes. Well, as of today, I have two.” He let that sink in.

The naga let out an unnatural noise. He had a sickening feeling that the creature was tasting him through the still air. When he spoke, Adrian didn’t understand the language. The words sounded sharp and angry. Owethu’s response was just as sharp. When they were done, the clan’s leader dipped his head down to meet Adrian gaze. Up close, the white eyes looked completely dead inside.

“Welcome to my clan, Adrian Blackthorn.”

\--

END

\--


	11. The Feast

\--

Chapter Ten  
The Feast 

\--

"No, he is not available for comment. This is an art gallery, no, I'm sorry. I can't help you." Gail barked, almost having to forcibly shove back a tall thin woman holding a massive black camera.

"Would you say that Mr Blackthorn has had a real impact on the arts community here?" The woman asked, ignoring the angry glares she was getting from several of the install team. 

"We are currently installing our next exhibition. It is not safe for you to be in here. I must insist that you leave." Gail starting chivvying the group of reporters towards the doors, her face set.

"This is insane." Jane muttered as Gail came storming back towards her, having promptly locked the automatic doors for the day. They could still see the dark outlines of several people moving about behind the frosted glass. 

"They're not leaving." Gordon muttered nervously. Gail gave the door a spiteful look. It was nearly two in the afternoon and matters were not improving.

"Did... did you know who he was when you hired him?" Jane asked, rather shyly as Gail was already in a towering temper.

“Of course, I did! I'm not thick. It’s not a particularly common last name outside of a damn movie." She snapped. Jane quickly turned her attention back to the set of hooks she was screwing into the wall. Gail pivoted smartly on her heel and headed for the back office.

"Maybe I should just go." Said a male voice as she opened the door.

"Don't be ridiculous. I always guessed this would happen the day I saw your surname on the resume. Honestly, I was shocked it hadn't happened sooner." She said, peered down haughtily at the tired looking young man who was seated on one of the old swivel chairs. Adrian sighed. 

“I just wanted to be left alone." He said. 

“Sorry love, but unless you intend to change your name and move to Mexico or Germany, I can’t see you being able to disappear from this.” She said.

“Tempting.” Adrian muttered. They were both distracted when a little black cat bounded across the desk, chasing a stolen paperclip.

“I’m sorry, I couldn’t leave them behind. They seem attached to me at the moment.” Prince was curled up on a pile of jumpers in the corner of the office. He opened one eye and then shut it again. 

“They are your familiars. You shouldn’t have been going around without them anyway. I may not be a practitioner but I’ve been watching the news. They balance your magic output. Really Adrian, no wonder you have been so ill lately.” Adrian hunched over in his chair, sulking.

“In my defence, I didn’t know they were my familiars.” Gale gave an inelegant snort. She flicked the paperclip back over the keyboard. The black bullet shot after it. 

“You lucky I’m a cat person.” She grumbled. Adrian hung his head. He supposed he was lucky in that sense. Familiars could really be any animal. Prince could just have easily been a skunk or a kangaroo or an alligator. 

Not so easy to hide in a small office. 

The news had broken out spectacularly all over the city that morning. Released as an international news story, it had become known that Adrian Blackthorn was the first practitioner in nearly one hundred years to practice with two familiars. Somehow, in less than three hours, reporters had discovered his home address, his work address and his phone number. 

He and Owethu had managed to get to his house, fill a suitcase with clothes, boost the house’s sigils and take the cats before the news story was out. Since he had left the house, he felt pangs every few minutes, letting him know that a person or people were trying to get onto his property. Twice he felt much stronger twinges. At least two people had tried to actually get in to his house. 

Those poor bastards…

“I had to disconnect the phone because of you.” Gale muttered. He winced.

“I’m so sorry.” He groaned. She shrugged.

“Forget it. Your stuck here now, I suggest you put on that rubbish music you listen to, finish the floor plan for the show and write out that media release for Wednesday. I would also suggest you leave through the back way passed the Korean restaurant.” She said. He could only nod.

“Yeah. Thanks Gale.” She grunted and then disappeared back out the door. He had already contacted his professor at his university to let him know he wouldn’t be coming to the lectures for a while. Each lecture was always recorded and put online so Adrian wasn’t really missing out. He had completed all but one assignment task and he could do that at home.

Home… was he going to be able to get home? He groaned and let his head thunk forward onto the desk. The black cat stopped chasing her paperclip to chew on his hair. 

“Quit it.” He muttered half-heartedly. 

Owethu had told him quite bluntly that the clan driver would pick Adrian up from work and that he wasn’t to go off on his own. Whilst he didn’t apricate being ordered around, Adrian had absolutely no desire to be cornered by reports when he was waiting for the bus. Daniel wasn’t able to come get him and Lyndell was stuck at work. In there end there wasn’t much choice. 

The naga had been especially distant with him since their confrontation with the clan’s don. He wondered vaguely if Owethu had been worried for him when he had directly confronted the elder. Well. It made little difference now. 

He had several large important stacks of contracts to read back at Owethu’s apartment that he would need to sign. He was not looking forward to that. 

With a heavy sigh he sat up, brushed his now wet hair back down and pulled the keyboard closer to himself. If nothing else, he could try and drown in his work for a few more hours. 

Gale came in a 5:30 to tell him to pack up and leave because she wanted to go home. Everyone else left an hour ago and the building had become blissfully silent. Adrian stretched, feeling his muscles and joints aching with hours of sitting in much the same position. He had finished everything he had needed to but hadn’t wanted to leave the safety of the office. He had even written up next week’s social media posts for the gallery opening. 

He turned on his phone, groaned at the hundreds of missed calls, ignored the plague of text messages and sent out his own to the number Owethu had given him. The phone beeped seconds later to say the driver was on his way.

“Come on.” He yawned. Both cats blinked up at him. He had been really worried about taking the cats with him. He had half expected them to flee down the street as soon as they were somewhere unfamiliar but the two felines stayed practically glued to him. He had to keep reminding himself they were his familiars and not true animals. Turning off is monitor and swinging his bag over a shoulder he opened the door. 

Gale was waiting for him and crouched down to pat the black cat.

“She’s so sweet. What are you going to name her?” Adrian looked at the purring feline.

“I was thinking something along the lines of Duches[CL1] s. I mean, I named him Prince.” Adrian pointed to the white at curling about his ankles. Gale cooed.

“That’s a lovely name! Little Duchess.” She preened over the tiny black cat for several more moments. Duchess lapped it up, purring loudly. 

“Right.” Gale barked, suddenly standing up and fixing Adrian with a hard look.

“How are you getting home?” She propped one manicured hand on her hip.

“There’s a driver coming to get me.” He sighed. She gave a sharp nod.

“Good, good. Do you need me to walk you down?” She asked. Adrian felt his face going red.

“No! Good god’s woman, I don’t need a bodyguard.” He spluttered.

“Fine, get out with you then so I can turn on the alarms.” She waved him away. Adrian bid her good night and headed for the corridor that led down the back entrance. The building used to be made up of six different shops. Over the years, reinvasions were made, rooms were combined and shops disappeared but many of the odd little walkways and passages still existed. Adrian liked them. They reminded him of secret tunnels. He had long since memorised the ways out and took two lefts and a right before coming to the concrete steps. Oddly enough, the automatic lights were already on.

He stopped walking. His phone was still buzzing every few minutes. He stuffed it deep into his back pocket and looked down the passage. The lights should only come on if they sensed movement. He pushed out with his magic, feeling through the air. His body tensed. The familiar walls suddenly seemed a lot closer. He knew even before his magic found what he was looking for. He knew even before both Duchess and Prince hissed. 

He was no longer alone in the corridor. 

The signature that came back to him was of a practitioner. Senses on high alert, Adrian carefully placed his backpack down on the ground and readied himself.

“Whose there?” He called. He tried to make his voice loud and strong. It echoed down the concrete corridor that led to the street. For a moment, there was no other sound but the reverberation of his own words. Then came the sound of footsteps as someone came up the stairs. Adrian slid into a fighting stance, the hum of magic thick in the air. When the figure of man finally emerged onto the landing Adrian stared. He was surprised when he realized he knew the man.

“Simon? What the hell are you doing here?” He spluttered. Simon Davis looked a little worse for wear since they had last seen each other. He was still wearing what he probably thought was an impressive checked three-piece suit. It probably cost more then some people earnt in half a year. There were more grey hairs to the man’s head and deep lines etched into his face Adrian didn’t remember seeing the last time they spoke.

“I’m so sorry to appear like this Adrian.” Though the sneer was ever present, the words came out almost sincere. 

“I knew that my odds of finding you were small but I had to try. I’ve been worried.” Adrian dropped his guarding stance from sheer bewilderment alone.

“Worried?” He couldn’t stop himself from spluttering the word. Simon and he had never been friends. Honestly, he didn’t think Simon actually had any friends. More like a collection of college that earnt the same mass amount of wealth he did. The older man gave him a hurt look.

“Of course! Once I had heard the announcement in the news that you had received your second familiar, I knew what your father had worried about had come true.” Simon simpered. Adrian froze. He felt his own eyes widened. By his ankle, Prince gave a low angry yowl. Simon glanced uneasily at the two sets of glowing eyes.

“Ah. You, urm, have them with you I see. Of course, you do.” He said. He looked rather uncomfortable. There was beads of sweat on the man’s brow. 

“My father spoke to you about it?” Adrian couldn’t keep the incredulity from his tone.

“Oh course. I aided with quite a bit of his research back in the day.” The man seemed to reanimate at the question. He dove for his back pocket and pulled out an old photograph. He handed to Adrian. 

It was his father. He looked younger, maybe late twenties. And there beside him, with his signature smirk, stood Simon. 

“I didn’t know you knew each other so well.” Adrian admitted. Whilst it was true that Simon came across at a pretentious git, if he had been willing to collect information for Adrian’s father, his dad may have been happy to work with the man… he couldn’t remember. 

“It was a while ago. Look, can we talk properly? Not in this horrible little building. Maybe grab something to eat so we can… catch up?” Duchess was growled low in her throat. Adrian felt a little bewildered by the entire conversation. 

“I work in this horrible little building.” He said bluntly. Simon flushed a little but composed himself quickly. 

“My apologies. Say, six o’clock on Friday? There’s that lovely little restaurant on George Street.” 

“Urm…”

“Perfect. Until then my boy.” Simon gave a friendly little wave and disappeared back down the stairs without another word. Adrian watched him go, flabbergasted. 

He waited a few more minutes before picking up his bag and trudging down the stairs after him. When he peaked out the door into the back street, it was blissfully empty. There was a black car parked off to one side. He recognised it as the Naga clan’s driver and quickly dashed across the road to climb in the back seat. The two cats scrambled in after him. 

“What took you so long?” Owethu’s voice made him jump. The naga was sitting on the other side, eyes narrowed and glowing. 

“Just ran into someone, that’s all.” Adrian muttered, grabbing his seat belt. 

“We are running low on time as it is.” Owethu hissed. Adrian turned to look at him. To be frank, he was getting rather sick of Owethu’s flimsy moods.

“Late for what?” He sighed. He felt the car pull away from the curve. Prince curled up on his lap whilst Duchess sniffed about.

“My grandfather is expected to make the announcement of our mate bond public to the clan. He will need to do it tonight at the clan feast.” Owethu said. 

“Tonight!? When does it start?” Adrian was starting to panic a little.

“Seven.” Adrian groaned and thumped his head back against the car seat.

“Do I need to get dressed up for this?” He whined. His mate gave a smirk, exposing one long fang. It did odd things to his insides to see that predatory look on the man’s face.

“Unless you want to be mistaken for one of the blood offerings, yes. You will.” Owethu purred. The human stared.

“Blood offerings?” 

“Tradition. One that you will respect. Every human there is there willingly. To intervene would not look good for either of us.”

“Well that’s not an ominous explanation at all.” Adrian grumbled. 

“The feast is held every other year. It is our equivalent of a holiday. All clan members are expected to make the journey to our headquarters for the feast. To not turn up is to go directly against the don.” Owethu explained, his deep smoky voice loud in the enclosed cab. Adrian settled back nervously in his seat. 

“You will need to prepare yourself. You will be expected to stand beside me before the clan. A public statement will also be given to the press though there will be no human reports at the feast.” 

“Wonderful.” Adrian didn’t bother looking up to see his mate’s expression. He just wanted this all to be over. He jumped when a large hand took his own. 

“I will be beside you the entire night.” Owethu murmured and some of the irritation and stress inside the human eased just a little. He nodded slowly. 

“Don’t suppose there will be anything edible for humans at this feast?” Adrian asked with a lopsided smile. His stomach growled loudly. The naga gave another smirk.

“I’m sure we can manage something.” There was something in that smirk that put him on edge. He didn’t overly like the idea of this feast but he knew there was no backing out. He was surprised that a representative from the council hadn’t broken into the gallery today to demand he begin testing. If not today, they would certainly come tomorrow. Or the day after. 

He needed this connection with the naga clan. He could see the irony in it. The only way to keep any semblance of freedom and his old life was to willingly bind himself to another species. He wondered what his parents would have thought. Then he wondered if the mate bond would have existed at all if his family were still alive and a deep ache settled in his chest. Jenny’s smiling face unwillingly appeared in his mind and he squeezed his eyes shut as a sharp pain lanced his heart. Gods, he missed them. 

Owethu squeezed his hand. Adrian jerked. He had almost forgotten the naga beside him. 

“Good thing we packed a suit for me.” Adrian said, trying to lighten the mood. Owethu regarded him for a moment. Something about those warm amber eyes told him that the naga had felt something across their link. 

“True.” He murmured in that soft lilted accent. He tugged and Adrian went without a fight, laying his head across one broad shoulder. They sat that way until the car pulled up in the underground carpark of the clan’s headquarters. When the door opened, both cats darted out, startling the driver. Adrian peeled himself reluctantly from Owethu’s body to follow his bounding felines towards the elevator. He had no idea how they knew where they were going and he was to tired to bother wondering.

He had seen Owethu’s apartment the other night but it had been late and he was to exhausted to really take anything in. They had dropped his suitcases beside the door and stumbled towards the naga’s bedroom. In the morning, Adrian had slept through his alarm and had left in a rush of curses and his shirt on back to front. 

This time when the door beeped open and they stepped off, Adrian took a moment to properly look around. It was shockingly modern with cold stone, strict colour pallet and awkward steel furniture. It looked to Adrian, like a space there was barely lived in. The living room was like a photo straight out of a fashion magazine. The odd geometric rug in front of the pristine white leather couch didn’t even have any footprint impressions in it layered surface. 

It was as though none of the future had ever been used.

It gave him the creeps. He shivered though the temperature was quite hospitable. He padded through the apartment after Owethu. He was unnerved by the shear lack of dust on any surface. No missed inch on a side table of faded book cover. 

“Do you really live here full time?” Adrian couldn’t help but ask. The naga looked back over his shoulder.

“More or less. I reside here but I do not consider this place my home.” Owethu admitted. Adrian paused on the threshold to the bedroom. It was the only room that looked inhabited. The perfect white carpet was pressed down in the walking tracks the man would have taken to get in and out of bed. 

“Do you miss it? Africa?” He asked quietly. Owethu hesitated then gave a stout nod.

“I do. The heat, the scent of the air, the language. I do not know why but I do miss it.” He confessed gruffly. Adrian reached out a hand and touched the ebony skin of the man’s forearm.

“My mother used to say that our past locations can become pieces of us. They have shaped our memories and our life lessons. We wouldn’t be who we are if not for the places we have lived. In that sense, they are part of our soul.” Owethu’s expression was quite unreadable but he touched Adrian’s face with such gentleness that some of the ache he felt eased a little. 

“Come. Have a shower and get dressed. We must be going.” Owethu murmured, not unkindly, his lips brushing Adrian’s temple. 

Adrian padded to the bathroom which was far larger than any bathroom had a right to be. 

Really. 

The space was ridiculous even for two people. The enormous spa bath was horribly tempting (and just as unused as the rest of the apartment) but as he undressed, he headed for the shower. 

He kept the shower brief, not entirely able to shake the feeling that he was a guest at a particular posh hotel. His suit was hanging on a hook by the door and he dressed. He hated the feeling of the tied tightening around his neck as he wrapped it around and over. He attempted to comb his curls, failed and exited the bathroom with a huff.

Prince was asleep on the bed. Duchess was nowhere to be seen but he knew the feline was around somewhere. He stopped dead at the sight of Owethu.

The naga was dressed in an immaculate pale grey suit that complement his dark skin. The suit emphasized the firm muscle of his arms and the gold tie matched those piercing eyes. Adrian cock twitched in his pants. He cleared his throat.

“I… urhm… I’m ready to go.” He said, cheeks warm.

“I can see that.” Owethu purred. He offered his arm. Very gentlemanly. 

Adrian took it, trying to pretend he was confident. They headed back to the elevator and stepped inside. A small set of claws prickled his calf. He looked down.

“Sorry little Duchess, you need to stay here.” Adrian pushed the black feline back with the tow of his polished boot. Those mismatched eyes peered up at him, narrowed and judgemental. 

“I’ll keep his safe.” Owethu promised. The feline blinked and slowly turned away. The elevator doors shut and the steel box began to move. For the briefest moment he felt a pang of panic and regret. It was true what Gail had barked. His familiars balanced his magic. Without them he could be at risk of loosing control. 

But...

Owethu was with him and the naga seemed to have his own way of balancing Adrian’s power. Subconscious or not, Adrian’s powers seemed to behave themselves in the naga’s presence. He bit his lip and said nothing as the elevator travelled up and up. 

And up.

When it finally stopped and the door slid open, the pair were greeted with noise. Just noise. People talking, laughing and shouting. The hair prickled on the back of his neck. There were other sounds. People moaning. People gasping. The scent of the air was thick. Smoked meats, red wine, sweat, whiskey filled the air. And something else.

Blood.

Owethu’s hand came to rest on the back of his neck. Those long fingers squeezed and Adrian found himself steered through the crowd of glowing eyes and long fangs. Many members of the clan had the same gorgeous dark skin of the African descendant but several also had deep caramel that spoke of hot jungles and exposed savannahs. Adrian felt dizzy. 

He recognised half a dozen of the language spoke around him. Swahili, Malay and Mandarin. Everyone in attendance was handsomely dressed in vibrant fabrics. What was highly unnerving was the way the naga and nagini eyes glowed in the low lights of the hanging chandeliers. Human servers in plain black uniforms moved in between the guests, silver platters of drinks in hand. 

Suddenly a head turned to look at the new pair and the babble of talk seemed to swing sharply in their direction. Heads turned and Adrian felt cold sweat break out across his back as half a hundred predatory eyes set him. Owethu strode purposely forward, head high. His aura was impressive. The clan parted and Adrian tried his best to keep up with his mate’s long stride. He did not want to be left anywhere on his own tonight. He could hear the hissing, deep and reverberating from somewhere in the crowd of onlookers. He tried to take slow breathes, knowing that they could smell is unease and probably hear his pounding heartbeat. 

As the crowd parted, several massive table could be seen scattered about, surrounded by tall naga. For several moment Adrian thought they were food tables. Then something on the nearest table moved and he realized with a jolt of shock that several humans were chained to the tabletops. He would have stopped walking if Owethu’s hand had not bee clasped tight on his arm. He stumbled and felt eh entire crowd move in at the small sight of weakness. 

Owethu’s head snapped around and he let out a low rattling hiss causing several nagini to take a step back. Adrian tried to keep his eyes trained forward but the sounds of moans, gasp and grunts attracted his attention left and right. Not wanting to look down, he focused on Owethu’s shoulder. The male led him across the massive marble floor and up a short set of wide stairs. 

At the top was one long grand table. Plates, crystal glasses and cutlery were laid out beside intensely decorative flower displays and candle arrangements. The biggest chair was in the centre and in it sat the don. The blind leader of the naga clan was reclined lazily across the throne, a goblet held loosely in one hand. The chairs on either side of him were larger than the rest but smaller than his throne. On the left-hand side sat the nagini that Adrian remembered from the quadrennial conference. She must be Owethu’s sister. Adrian was led around the table.

“I was becoming concerned you would never arrive. To nervous to bring your pet to our feast.” The old naga purred. Owethu gave a growl.

“Not particularly, I think he’s relatively well trained but I’ll keep an eye on him.” Adrian cut across, putting in as much snark as he could. The hall went a little quieter. Owethu’s mouth was open in shock. There was a sudden roar of laughter as the don threw his head back.

“Sit, Mr Blackthorn and we will begin the feast momentarily.” The don said, still chuckling. Owethu sat beside his grandfather and Adrian took the chair on Owethu’s other side. His legs were shaking so badly he almost fell onto the chair rather then gracefully sitting. 

The old naga stood and silence fell immediately. The aura that naga gave off was choking. Adrian had never felt anything like it. It was like a led blanket. Like someone had turned up the dial of gravity. He was glad to be sitting because he probably would have collapsed under the pressure. As he looked around, he could see that many of the closest guests looked uncomfortable. 

“My family.” He began. He voice wasn’t overly loud but it was the kind to carry. There was even a clink of a glass to break the hush.

“I realize it came as a surprise too many to bring forward the date of our precious feast but announcement need to be made. Our clan is about to evolve, to do what no other naga clan has done before.” He said. Many heads looked around. Several looked at Adrian. There were the smallest of whispers amongst the onlookers. 

“This practitioner.” He gestured to Adrian.

“Adrian Blackthorn, is the bonded soul mate of my own precious grandson and your caporegime, Owethu. I have accepted the boy into this clan. The Blackthorn boy, by right of the bond will belong to this clan and take our oaths, follow our laws and increase our power.” There was some real noise now. The hissing and whispers grew so loud it was liking being outdoors in a brisk gale. 

Adrian stole glances of the expressions. Some looked at him with open hunger. Some with mild interest, other disbelief or disgust. What sent a thrill of fear through him though was the large number of faces that looked utterly enraged. He knew, if they could, these naga would kill him, wanted to kill him. They may even try…

He had never been the target for such hatred. He felt pinned, like a small iridescent beetle to a cork board. The lights suddenly seemed far to bright. Stomach filled with lead and fingers balled into fists under the table, he turned to look pointedly at Owethu and no one else. His mate looked utterly relaxed, bored even. 

“Once the bond is completed, he will take his vows before me and because a caporegime alongside his mate.” There were loud snarls or protest coming from the crowd. Was it Adrian’s imagination or was the old naga actually trying to provoke a reaction? Why was he giving Adrian such a high rank!? 

“Those who disapprove may follow tradition. For now, eat drink and celebrate. There is much work to be done.” The don sat down, looking pleased. Something about what he had just said clinked in Adrian’s fogged brain.

“Follow tradition. Does that mean they can challenge me for this new rank?” Adrian rasped. Owethu nodded, no longer looking pleased.

“Yes, but not yet. Once our bond is whole and you take the vows. You will still be considered clan now that our don has accepted you but you won’t be ranked until then.” He said gravely.

“We aren’t safe, either of us, are we?” Adrian whispered, lowering his voice. Owethu took a long time to answer.

“No. No we aren’t.”

\--

END

\--


	12. Contracts and Concerns

\--

Chapter Eleven  
Contracts and Concerns

\--

The dinner was back underway. In a way Adrian was grateful. Naga and human servants alike were moving about and talking once more. They both had stood to walk around though they didn’t stray far from the head table. He watched as several older, scarred looking nagas came around to speak to the don of the clan. They kept a respectful distance, talking in low tones. There were less eyes on him and Owethu. He could still feel the tension in the air. He felt like a rabbit in a den foxes or, more accurately, a den of snakes. 

The cries and moans of the humans bound to the tables made him look up. So far, he had been trying not to look at them. He knew they had volunteered but the sight of them still caused a riot of confusing feeling inside. 

Close by a young man was arching in his bonds as a pretty female nagini was licking a dark sauce from the man’s inner thigh. Adrian shifted uncomfortably. Owethu noticed.

“Something wrong?” He murmured. Adrian turned his head away from the sight to his mate.

“Will they be alright after tonight?” He rasped. Owethu raised an eyebrow. 

“Yes. The laws have changed over the decades. They are protected by your laws and treaties, for the most part. They may leave here weakened and sore but they will leave alive.” Owethu purred. He seemed to be enjoying the way his words made the boy’s face flush hot. There was another shriek, making Adrian jump. Two table across, a naga had bitten into the thigh of a trembling human woman. Even at this distance, Adrian could just make out her wide eyes. 

“Nothing like being eaten by a gigantic snake.” Adrian croaked. Sarcasm was his only metaphorical shield right now. He really had not prepared himself enough for this kind of a culture shock. 

Splayed out and decorated with metallic paints and chinking jewellery, the humans were displayed like literal dishes on the massive tables. Several had been artfully covered with different sauces, meats and bite sized pieces of bread. Adrian’s stomach rumbled but there was no way he was going to eat food off a panting naked man. He just wasn’t ready for that level of kink factor. 

His mouth had gone completely dry. He imagined if he tried the swallow that he would choke. His eyes were wide as the young boy in front of him let out a loud groan as the naga fed from the wound in the boy’s collar bone as another selected several pieces of meat of his trembling belly. Did these humans know that less than fifty years ago they would all likely have been fucked, killed and eaten by their hosts? Adrian shivered.

He dared another glance at his mate and froze with instinctual fear at the sight of the glowing slits staring back at him. A killer’s gaze. Owethu shifted and the movement looked utterly boneless as the male stepped towards him. 

“I have had many humans under me in my life.” Owethu purred. His words were slurred by the long fangs that had elongate from his top jaw. Adrian opened his mouth but no sound came out.

“Pretty females and flexible males. If it had been you, if I had seen you at any feast, I would have selected you. Even without the mate bond’s pull, I can’t deny that I find you attractive.” He purred. Adrian mouthed wordlessly as the naga slid powerful arms around his torso, turning him. The grip was tight. He could feel the solid muscle behind his back, sense the naga’s tallness. 

“I would have taken you at the head table, listening to your cries, felt your heat around my cock. I would bite as you came.” Adrian was panting quietly, the images running through his head. The smell of blood, wine and sex was strong in the air. It made him dizzy. Owethu’s hands pressed to his breastbone, feeling the acceleration in his heart beat.

“And would you have killed me?” Adrian forced out at last. His mate placed a slow kiss on the side of his throat. Still panting, Adrian tilted his head a little. There was the sharpness of fang. Not a bite. But Adrian knew the man wanted to.

“We always killed out prey or its only half a meal. But you… maybe I would have kept you. A few nights at least. Driven the world from your mind before I drove your soul from your body.” Owethu murmured. Adrian felt his cock twitch in his pants. That statement should not have aroused him. 

“How?” He gasped as a much harder bite was placed to his throat. 

“In my true form, wrapped in my coils, my cock buried inside you, I would slowly work the air from your warm body until you had nothing else to give me.” Adrian turned his head to look at the man. Owethu’s iris were nothing but thin slits. In the glittering light was reflecting of faint impressions of scales across the ebony skin. Owethu was losing the fine control he usually held. Somehow, the fear and arousal Adrian felt was in balance with each other. He gave a weak laugh.

“You know, twelve months ago, I probably would have let you.” He rasped. Owethu’s nostrils flared. The naga grabbed him hard by the arms and swung him around, his back colliding with a nearby pillar. 

Lips found his, all sharp teeth and vicious. Pain lanced his face as one fang cut open his bottom lip. Clawed hands wrestled with his tuxedo. One wrench his shirt loose, to grab hard at his nipple, the other using the ridiculous silk bow tie as a collar, nearly choking him as he was yanked around. 

Christ, what the fuck were they doing!? Adrian couldn’t think straight. The urge to strengthen the bond was at forefront of his mind. He couldn’t even tell if it was his desire or Owethu’s. 

“Fuck.” He groaned at another particularly hard bite. The naga wasn’t breaking skin but Adrian wanted him to. His fingers grabbed at the black hair and he pulled. 

“Please.” Owethu pulled back. Adrian tried to follow him back the naga shoved him hard against the pillar, making his teeth clack together.

“If I bite you, I will need to claim you.” He hissed. The weight of those words struct Adrian and he tried desperately to scrap back some remnant of control. He was so sick of always being on edge, trying to stay in control of his magic, of his life. He wanted to let it all go. He was so close to shouting “fuck it” and giving in but something held him back. He could still see the glowing eyes of several naga. They would kill Owethu and Adrian if they could. They couldn’t do this now. 

Shaking, he took a step back from the massive ebony naga. 

“Sorry.” He rasped. Owethu didn’t answer right away. He seemed to be trying to collect himself too. As they backed away from each other some of the veracious need for contact eased as well.

“What… what was that?” He croaked. Owethu was avoiding his eye, still trying to control himself.

“Our bond. It hasn’t been completed. From what I understand, mate bonds bind the two partners based on contact and the exchange of fluids. It is old magic and prolonging the process is going to have… consequences.” The naga hissed. He seemed both shocked and angry. With himself or with Adrian, Adrian couldn’t tell. It was clear that Owethu was not used to being consumed by his baser instincts.

“Go sit down and don’t speak to anyone unless you must. Say nothing about your family or about yourself.” The coldness in his tone made Adrian flinch. 

“Owethu-”

“Go. Sit.” The man snapped. Adrian hesitated for half a moment but turned back to the table. He sat woodenly. His mate was striding away with quick angry footfalls. Adrian grabbed for a glass, desperate for something alcoholic to steady him a little.

He was about to bring it to his lips to drink when the smell of blood, rust and iron hit his nose and he quickly pushed the glass away again, nausea rushing over him. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end as someone or something shifted behind him. Would the other naga make a move on him already? He looked around for Owethu but the other male didn’t seem to be anywhere. 

He took several breathes. He rubbed his fingers together but he couldn’t seem to focus. His magic flared and dimmed inside his core and he couldn’t concentrate on the spell he wanted. The creeping sensation spread down his spine. His insides twisted as sweat broke out along his forehead. Somewhere in the crowd a woman shrieked from one of the tables. The sound made him jump violently in his chair. Several heads turned in the direction of the bound woman and a low hiss reverberated from the predators in the room. 

“So.” Adrian whipped his head so fast he nearly gave himself whiplash. 

A beautiful ebony skinned slim woman took the chair next to him. He recognised her as Owethu’s sister. She shared her brother’s gold and orange eyes as well as a similar curved jawline. Whilst slim, there was muscles to her shoulders and arms and she was just as tall as her brother. 

“Quite an entrance.” She said, truly seeming to enjoy herself. She reached for Adrian’s abandoned glass and brought it to her lips.

“You don’t mind, do you?” She asked shrewdly, tilting the glass of blood back towards him.

“Not at all.” He forced out. She smirked before taking a sip.

“Enjoying the festivities?” She asked, nodding to the crowd of glowing eyes and thrashing humans. 

“It is… different.” He managed. This conversation was uncharted territory for him. He wasn’t sure how close Owethu and his sister were. Given the species didn’t have family bonds he had no idea if he was safe near the woman or not. Would she see him as a threat or an ally?

“Have you eaten? The lamb is exquisite.” She purred, pointing a long finger towards and twisting bound female with her hair arranged in elaborate ringlets. Adrian glanced at her and frowned.

“It that girl even a legal age for this kind of thing? She barely looks seventeen.” He said through gritted teeth. The nagini’s smile was touch with something malicious.

“I have no doubt that she is of age. The laws are followed quite strenuously. Of course, would you step in if she wasn’t?” She took another drink from the tumbler in her hand. Adrian flinched when the girl yelped, her hair gripped in the fist of one of the nagas. When Adrian didn’t say anything, his companion’s grin widened. 

“Come, dance with me.” the nagini said. Adrian drew back into the chair.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea. I’m an appalling dancer and Owethu-”

“My brother has stormed off in one of his tempers and left his very human mate alone in a room full of over a hundred nagas that would simply love to add you to the feast. But by all means, if you would prefer to sit here...” She made to stand and several large shapes on Adrian’s prefrail seemed to slink closer. The classical music wafting over the hall was not loud enough to drown out the screaming groaning and hissing of the people inside it. Adrian swallowed hard feeling insanely uncomfortable. He had never been in a more vulnerable situation. 

When had his life become so ridiculous and out of control? All he had wanted was to try and move on. He was barely out of high school, barely functional! He had just wanted to exist, quietly and out of sight of the world. And now… 

Now he was here. It felt like the bricks themselves had eyes, thousands upon thousands of eyes, all staring in on him. He couldn’t leave but he couldn’t stay. He was literally trapped between a rock and a hard place. Were the council, even now, sending people to his house to arrest him? What about Lyndall and Daniel? Where they alright? He hadn’t been able to call them yet. 

“Wait.” Adrian stood stiffly. 

The only choice left to him at the moment was ironically the only one he ever had since his family was taken from him. Just putting one foot in front of the other, absorbing one minute at a time. He would get through this bloody feast, get back to Owethu’s room, collect his cats and try to ring his friends. He couldn’t take on more than that. Not right now. 

He followed the willowy nagini passed the ring of food tables with their bound humans and out on to a large dance floor. Adrian had the impression that every interaction in this place was fake. It was though the dance floor was the set piece to a television show. The naga and nagini were all talking, moving and drinking but they all had fixed expressions. Every move was exaugurated. Some weren’t moving at all. Many of them were so still, they looked like extenuated mannequins. It seemed to Adrian that none of these creatures wanted to be there. 

“It’s rather against our nature to be all cooped up together.” Owethu’s sister took Adrian’s hand and placed it on her hip. She led him lazily around the dance floor 

“Why do it then?” He asked. She smiled a little to wide, her jaw cracking. That was… disturbing.

“The population of the world is increasing. Territories and cultures are mixing. It is no longer safe to be the minority. In the supernatural world, even an enemy of your own species is an improvement from an unknown threat. Its not often we need to get together though many of our older members live here at the tower. The elders of our number have a little more control of their baser instincts.” She purred. There was another loud scream so abrupt that one of the musicians nearly dropped her bow. 

“Most of the time.” The nagini added innocently.

“I think I should go.” Adrian muttered. 

“And where exactly are you going to go, little mage?” Her grip tightened and he fought back a flinch as sharp claws dug into his shoulder. Thinking back to the advice he had been given, he tried to look bored, turning them in a slow circle to the music. 

It was a small advantage to growing up in as part of the high elite that travelled. Learning to ballroom dance had never been what he and his friends had considered fun but this was not the first time he had been made to do it. He could move his feet confidently without stepping on hers at least. 

“Back to Owethu’s room, I guess. I need to feed my cats.” He said. She laughed and it didn’t really sound right, like a human voice trying to escape a voice box that wasn’t meant for the sound. 

“Do you think you will make it that far?” She asked in a would-be innocent tone. 

“Sizani, let go of him.” Owethu’s voice cut in and Adrian was relieved to hear it. He felt dramatically less relieved at the thoroughly pissed off expression on the naga’s sharp jaw line.

“Owethu-” He started but let out a gasp as the older man grabbed him roughly by the forearm and ripped him from the nagini’s grip. Literally. Her claws cut his shoulder like a scalpel, clean and swift. He watched as her pupils contracted. She made to follow but Owethu shoved Adrian behind him and let out a low thunderous hiss. Adrian watched in fascinated horror as Owethu’s bottom jaw distended and two-inch-long fangs cracked from his top jaw.

The music faltered again as the bodies of several snakes came to life, turning towards them and the scent of practitioner blood. Adrian looked from the broad back of his mate to the steel elevator doors nearly a hundred metres. He weighed his options and none were particularly good. Even if Owethu was second in command, even he would not be able to fight off an entire clan of his own kind. Perhaps if Adrian started to walk, they would only follow at a walk. The bluff was all he had left. The bluff that he didn’t consider them a threat. 

He turned, ignoring Owethu’s snarl. As he did, he caught sight of the old naga leader, still sitting at the head table. He had a glass balanced in his hand and had his head turned towards them. His cold dead white eyes where out of focus but even at this distance, Adrian could see the cold smile. 

Adrian walked towards the elevator. His own footfalls seemed loud and heavy. Even the screaming for the humans on the banquet tables had died down. Only the orchestra played bravely on though the number of missed notes or bad timing was more noticeable. Something moved somewhere to his left but he didn’t look. He knew that Owethu had intercepted the naga. There was that snarling hiss again, a loud crack and a sickening gurgling like someone trying to breathe through a lung full of blood. 

Shuddering, Adrian forced himself not to look. He knew by the thin fluctuations in their bond that Owethu wasn’t hurt. He kept his stride even, kept it slow even though every muscle fibre in his body wanted him to run for the elevator. Adrenaline was spiking through his body, blood pumping in his ears. He rubbed his thumb and forefinger together but his magic felt unstable. It trembled in his palm like a hoarfrost. Barely there and fragile, it threatened to crumble back in to the ether at the slightest pressure. 

One step, another. It was another long walk. Another walk with the gazes of strangers, hostile and hungry. There was a rush of air as something else dove out of the darkness but before the nagini, Adrian saw her pale lips and yellow eyes, could touch him, Owethu grabbed the female by her long hair and threw her back. 

The doors of the elevator slid open and Adrian stepped inside. As he turned slowly, he watched stunned at the completely still room with its hundred of glittering lights. Some came from the hanging chandeliers, the crystal chinking softly. The rest came from the towering monsters beyond, scales catching and refracting the light, all motionless. The orchestra had finally stopped playing. The cellist, pale and scared looking, appearing moments away from toppling off her chair. Then, like something from his own nightmares, as the door began to slide closed, they descended. 

A slithering, snarling tide of distorted grotesque faces, clawed hands and scaly bodies. Adrian watched as Owethu himself grew and grew, his torso lengthened, his legs fusing together as the fabric of his suit ripping and shredded under the bulging muscle of the snake’s frame. An inky black serpentine tail hit the floor, battle scared and tipped with silver and orange rings. 

Then the sight of the ballroom was blocked it all from view as the door closed. Adrian hurried to the panel and punched in the number for Owethu’s floor. The elevator dinged merrily before descending. 

Adrian took several steps away from the doors until his back hit the wall. When it did, he slid down to the floor, shaking.

“Fucking hell.” He rasped. He looked down at his own trembling hands. His suit felt insanely restrictive and he wrestled with it for a moment, needing more air. This was pure insanity. He didn’t know how to handle this. He pulled out his phone but his thumb hesitated over the power button. He knew once he turned it on, he would have hundreds of missed calls and texts from gods only knew who. After another moment, he shoved it roughly back into his pocket, swallowing around the lump in his throat. 

He felt like such a coward. He was so in over his head and he had no idea what he was doing. The only ‘adults’ in his life right now was the giant snakes now trying to kill each other several floors above. 

It was such a sharp twist of pain. He had yet to goa day since without thinking of his family but just now, whilst he was trying to stop himself from shaking apart, he desperately wanting his parents there. He tried to picture what they would say. His father had dealt with everything from dragons to giant arachnids. Always calm, always warm, Richard Blackthorn carried the family legacy with seeming ease. And what had Adrian done? He hadn’t even done anything with the research his family had collected. 

A sound broke from his throat, long and broken. He was a massive fuck up. He couldn’t even man up enough to go back to the mansion and close it down correctly. Adrian could feel the elevator slowing down. He scrambled to his feet, rubbing hard at his stinging eyes before hastily standing off to one side. If someone came through the door when it opened, Adrian would have first strike. 

When the doors juddered open, Adrian waited, holding his breathe. After a few moments a long shadow appeared on the back wall. Then another. Adrian tensed. Then he relaxed as the shadows shrank and his two cats stuck their heads into the elevator. Prince slow blinked up at him. Duchess yowled. 

Adrian scooped them both up and hugged them so tight two his chest that one of them squeaked. He carried them into the showroom like apartment and tried to ignore the constant little stabs of pain that came across his weak link with the naga upstairs.

\--

END

\--


	13. Along the edge of Insanity

Chapter Thirteen

Along the edge of Insanity

\--

Adrian sat ramrod straight on the couch. If you could call it a couch. He was almost sure that it had never been used since its installation into the grand apartment. It was crisp white leather, glossy and stiff. He guessed the designers chose it for looks rather than function because it was hard as hell and the accompanying pillows smelt like plastic. 

There wasn’t really any better place to sit though. The kitchen was all cold marble and stainless steel. Very modern. Very medical looking. He hated it. The bedroom would be perhaps more comfortable on the basis that it had actually been used. However, the idea of sitting or napping on Owethu’s bed did not sit well in his gut. So here he sat, on the world’s most uncomfortable couch. 

It had to be well past midnight. He had managed to find several bottles of wine and a few other non-descript decanters in a crystal cabinet in the kitchen. After opening one of the bottles and making damn sure the contents were not something that once had legs and heartbeat, Adrian had helped himself. Partly to settle his jangled nerves, partly for something to do. Owethu had a massive wide screen television on the wall. Adrian had let out a disgusted snort when he realised the damn thing had never been turned on before. The power cord wasn’t even plugged in and was still wrapped in plastic.

He had plugged his charging cable into the power point and hooked up his phone which he still hadn’t had the guts to turn on. Prince and Dutchess came looking for him. He scooped the two cats up and hugged them tightly to his chest. It was probably a good thing the little beasties were magical or they would probably be scratching the shit out of him right now in an effort to escape. As it was, both felines let out matching deep purrs. 

The link he shared with Owethu had finally gone silent. He didn’t know exactly what that meant. He knew from the presence of the link that the man wasn’t dead but that pretty much summoned up all he did know. 

There was absolutely no way he could fall asleep and no where he could go. Just once he had gone down to the foyer. He had not even needed to set foot out of the elevator. He stood off to one side and looked in horror at the reflection on the shiny elevator wall. There were naga security lining the glass walls of the outer building. From the bright lights of several parked cars, Adrian caught a glimpse of policemen and uniformed officers from the council’s division all trying to engage the naga. Obviously, he couldn’t hear what they were saying and he also didn’t want to. 

In the chaos he also caught a glimpse of several photographers, news vans and civilians. Lights were flashing, the front desk phones were ringing, people were shouting and Adrian slammed his hand over the close button without even leaving his corner of the elevator. This was every bit his worst nightmare. 

His two familiars had practically glued themselves to him. At first, he had tried to brush them aside but then several untouched magazines went shooting wildly off the coffee table and he decided against being alone. His magic was utterly wild and his current stress was only making it worse. Prince and Duchess were doing their best to funnel off the excess magic his body was producing. He needed them right now. 

Owethu didn’t come back to his apartment. The hours crept by and Adrian drank his way through a third bottle of wine before finally passing out where he sat on the cold marble floor. When he woke next it was a little after dawn. He had only slept for a couple of hours.

His head ached horribly and his body was painfully stiff all over. He got gingerly to his feet and padded into the hideous kitchen that still made him think or an abattoir. Forgoing the cup, he stuck his head in the sink and drank straight from the faucet. He splashed a little water on his face and fought down the nausea. He really shouldn’t have drunk so much. It hadn’t even really helped. 

He stripped out of his clothes and pulled on a pair of sweatpants before finally retrieving his phone. Taking a slow steading breathe, he turned it.

It took a long time to sort through it all. He was very tempted to just delete all the missed calls and texts without looking at them but on closer inspection he noticed that quite a few were from people he knew. Even Gale from the gallery had flicked him a text message to see how he was doing. He frowned as he realized that quite a few of the text messages from his friends had come through after ten o’clock. He went to the message from Lyndall first. 

"You must complete the bond." One line. Very blunt. No context. Adrian couldn't help but glare at it. He knew the bond needed to be solidified. As it was at the moment, it was barely there, an insubstantial nothingness linking him to a man who was currently gods knew where. And if he didn't? If they didn't finish the bond what would happen? To Owethu, probably nothing but to Adrian...? Feeling somehow even worse than he had five minutes ago, he scrolled down to the next text. Bracing himself, he opened Daniel’s next.

"I really hate to do this to you mate but you might want to check the news." 

Adrian stared glumly down at the text message. He had sort of been hoping for something a little more comforting. He had of course been avoiding social media, television or any kind of news app on purpose. He had absolutely no desire to see what the tabloids had been writing about him. Prince's little claws dug into his pants as the little cat kneaded at his leg. He scooped the ball of white fluff into his lap and flicked his thumb across to the news app on his phone. He didn't have to look very hard. The headline was long and protuberant.

HEIR TO BLACKTHORN FORTUNE MAKES HISTORY WITH SECOND FAMILIAR BUT WHERE DO HIS LOYALTIES LIE?

"As of yesterday evening, it was confirmed by the High Council of Practitioners that Adrian Blackthorn, the sole survivor of the prolific Blackthorn family, has come into his affinity with a second familiar at just twenty years old. The last recorded case of a practitioner with two familiars was Rosery Evans who infamously went insane at the age of 33 after attempting to burn down a maternity ward in her local town of Amesbury. Given the grievous losses already suffered by Mr Blackthorn, questions are already being raised in concern for the young man's mental health 

Some Health Officials question the boy's abilities to make such crucial decisions such as what will be done with the massive achieve collected by the famous Carvell Blackthorn and his son, Richard Blackthorn. 

These concerns are not unfounded as it was also confirmed as of last night that Adrian has chosen not to conform to Practitioner Law and seek assistance from the council but has in fact taken residence with the Selvagem Naga Clan, a decision that has been met with deep unease and scepticism from the Practitioner community. 

The Selvagem Clan came to reside locally in 1956 after a long and bloody civil war forced the clan from its home country of Peru. There was much opposition to the clan coming to rest here due to the brutal and unfriendly reputation these creatures have which made them highly unpopular by the human population. Strict regulations came in to curb the supernatural interference with the local civilians.

Spokesman Rupert Maynard from the High Council had this to say; "Quite frankly, the boy's decision to align himself with these creatures only confirms that he must be losing his touch with reality. How or why they were able to persuade the boy remains to be seen but I believe that it is the responsibility of our government to see this boy back safely in the care of medically trainer practitioners who can properly look after him.” 

Adrian definitely felt sick. His finger stopped at the end of the article. At the very bottom was a blown-up photo. It was old and showed his parents, sister and himself. They were dressed up smarty, his mother in a soft dress of pale blue and his father in a black tuxedo. His perfect Windsor knot was the exact shade of his wife's dress. Jenny was beaming, a rather large floral of some vaguely pink description was pinned in her hair. Adrian stood on his mother's other side looking a little nervous in his own matching tuxedo. 

He felt his chest tighten painfully at the sight of the photo. He hadn't expected to see his family staring back at him, beaming. He threw his phone down and ran for the pristine bathroom. His knees hit the tile floor painfully as he wrenched up the seat and lost the contents of his stomach into the toilet bowl. He stayed there for several long minutes, retching until he tasted bile. 

The article he had read seemed to be rolling on repeat in his mind. Doctor Benson had mentioned Rosery Evans but he had never said she had tried to burn down a maternity ward! What if Adrian turned out just like her? She had only been a rough ten or so years older. Had she lost control of her magic often? The theory was that the mate bond Adrian had with Owethu would help but there was no real evidence of that. The bond itself was ridiculously fragile and had yet to have strengthened in anyway. What if in five years’ time he went completely round the twist? Would he hurt people? Would he be able to stop himself? 

Very slowly he got up and rinsed out his mouth. His hands shook and he refused to look at himself in the mirror. It was only once he had spat into the sink for the third time and got the room to stop swaying in his field of vision, did he sense it. Owethu was coming towards him. He turned just as the elevator chimed and the doors slid open.

The man was a real mess. 

His tuxedo was ripped and torn all over and splatted in blood. The naga had several deep looking gashes on his arms and shoulders. His eyes were burning canary yellow slits and his short hair was spiked up with dried blood and bits of what look liked shredded meat. Adrian stomach contracted again and if he hadn’t just vomited up part of his very soul he probably would have started puking again. 

They stood staring at each other for a moment before Owethu shoved passed him into the bathroom, ripping off the tattered clothes as he went. Adrian was left standing in the bathroom doorway as the naga turned on the shower with such violence, Adrian was briefly worried the man would tear the shower fittings off the wall. Hot steam soon filled the space.

At a loss and feeling rather useless, Adrian turned away and went to feed the two cats. Prince mewled up at him as he scooped out the contents of the large cat food can into two bowls. He placed them down and watched the mismatched cats eat. Somewhere behind him the sound of the water died. 

Owethu came out, a white fluffy towel wrapped around his hips. Even the damn white towel looked like something that lived in an expensive hotel room rather than someone’s apartment. The slashes and cuts looked raw and an especially deep one on his pectoral was still oozing blood but the rest already seemed to be healing, the edged a lighter pink against the dark skin tone. 

“Are you alright?” Adrian asked finally, not able to handle the silence any longer. The naga gave him a long searching look. 

“I have had worse.” Came the lilted reply. Adrian felt his eyebrows rise into his hairline.

“You have?” He choked out before he could stop himself.

“Once. My intestine spilled out during a fight with a rival for my position some years ago.” Owethu said blandly. Adrian paled. 

“Oh.” Was about all he could manage in response. He followed the man into the bedroom. When Owethu stepped into the room and turned on the light, Adrian’s mouth fell open. The man’s bed was insanely large. He had never seen anything like it. 

“Entertain often do you?” He said before he could stop himself. Owethu gave him a sharp, rather nasty look.

“No, I prefer to sleep in my natural form.” He hissed. Adrian’s mind stuttered to a halt at the imagine of a massive python draped across the bed. Again, the sheer weirdness and misalignment between the two of them rested on him like a psychical weight. How the fuck were they even supposed to sleep in the same bed beside each other if the naga slept as a giant snake!? He wanted to ask what happened but the look on Owethu’s face was so fierce that he wasn’t sure it was a particularly good idea so instead he asked;

“What now?” 

“The clan’s lawyers are dealing with your human High Council. In the meantime, you should inform your employer of your resignation as well as-”

“My what!?” Adrian spluttered. Owethu gave him another long look as though he thought he was being stupid on purpose.

“Your resignation. It is both ridiculous and inappropriate for you to be wasting your time with a small gallery. You have more money then you could spend in four lifetimes.” 

“I don’t have that job for the money! I have that job because I enjoy it! I’m not quitting.” He snapped. The naga folded his arms across the muscled and sliced chest. 

“And how exactly are you going to get there? Out the front door?” He sneered. Adrian glared at him, his own temper flaring.

“I’m not going to be a prisoner here! I haven’t done anything wrong!” He shouted.

“You think anyone gives a damn what you want!? This isn’t about what you’ve done, this is about what you could do or more importantly what you could do for them or to them.” Owethu snarled. Adrian took a step back as though he’d been slapped, the honesty of that statement razor sharp. 

“Besides, we had an agreement. You would seek protection within the clan in exchange for providing-”

“And a damn good job you guys are doing on that front. I’ve been here less then twenty-four hours and you’ve already left me alone with your sister in a room full things that want to kill me then you nearly get yourself killed dealing with the after effect. Good job.” Adrian sniped back. Owethu’s mouth fell open. Possibly no one had ever argued with him like this before. 

“I’m going back to bed. Feel free to sleep on the couch.” Adrian spat before turning and storming over to the pristine bed. His nose wrinkled at the sight of it. It was silk. That was so unnecessary. 

“The sun is coming up.” Owethu said dumbly, staring wide eyed as his human mate turned his back on him and stripped off his sweatpants. The boy ripped the top covers back and climbed into Owethu’s bed, punching the pillow a few times for good measure.

“I can not even tell you how many fucks I don’t give. I can’t leave, I can’t stand you and I have a hangover. I may as well go back to sleep.” Came the tart response. The anger would have seemed legitimate if it wasn’t for the tight ball the boy then curled himself into. 

Owethu stared at the small miserable bundle that was his human mate.

He had no fucking idea how to handle this. He wasn’t built for this. He hadn’t even been able to control himself at the dinner. He had wanted the practitioner badly enough to fuck him there at the head table. He had tried to create some distance but that had been a disaster. He had never been placed in a more compromising position. His own life was now bound to this boy and by extension, his decisions. 

“I’m sorry.” Adrian lay facing the wall. Of all the things he expected the deep voice to say, an apology wasn’t one of them. He shivered. The silk sheets were like ice.

“Why is all the furniture in your apartment so awful?” He asked in a small voice. From somewhere over his shoulder he thought heard a chuckle. Or maybe he imagined it. The bed dipped. 

“I am rarely here so it hasn’t bothered me.” Owethu murmured. He hesitated a moment before resting a hand on the boy’s shoulder. 

“Don’t you miss having somewhere that is properly a home?” Adrian rasped, still not turning to look at him. 

“That is a foreign concept to me.” Came the reply. Adrian smiled weakly.

“I can relate to that.” He muttered. The naga lay down behind him. He could feel the heat coming from the man’s body, hot from the shower. 

“We aren’t suited for each other. Not even physically.” Owethu said, his tone seriously. Adrian rolled over to face him.

“You find me that unattractive?” He asked. The naga gave a small growl.

“That isn’t the problem. It’s how you perceive me.” Adrian frowned.

“I don’t think your unattractive.” He said, his cheeks flushing. Owethu shook his head.

“In this form. This isn’t how I would look if we were to mate.” He growled. Adrian froze, his eyes going a little wide as he remembered the diagram he had seen in his grandfather’s journal. 

“You would be in your… natural form.” He heard himself say. Owethu looked at him and gave a curt nod. 

Adrian took a slow breath and sat up.

“Show me.” 

“What?” 

“How do you think this is going to work? That we just never sleep together, never touch each other, never live together? You think the mate bond will survive that kind of a relationship. What are we even doing here then?” Adrian said. Even to his own ears his voice sounded tired and defeated. 

“I’m sorry your stuck with me but I can’t fix this and we can’t ignore each other so…” he whispered. His eyes prickled at the edges as he stared fixedly at the bed sheets.

“Alright.” 

There was a rustle as the towel fell to the floor. The sound that came next was particularly strange. It reminded Adrian of peeling an ear of corn, a sort of soft ripping sound. There were many loud pops like someone cracking the joints in their fingers. The light from the window dimmed and without looking up, Adrian could feel the space of the bedroom getting smaller. He looked up.

It was hard not to feel afraid. The creature in front of him was massive. The torso was still the powerfully built man Adrian had come to recognise. The deep gashes were more pronounced on the ebony skin. The eyes were more snake like then ever, the pupils reduced to slits. Just above where the hipbone would be, the skin shifting smoothly into large glistening black scales.

No, not quite black Adrian realised. In the sunlight he could see the leopard print pattern on the thick body of coils, the circles darker than the surrounding glossy deep grey. The coils themselves were almost as thick as Adrian’s shoulders. He could understand the size of the bed now. Owethu was studying him very closely, his lips set in a grim line. 

Risking an adverse reaction, Adrian pushed off the bed and padded over to his mate. He reached out a hand and after a moment’s hesitation, ran his fingertips over the place below the nagas abbs were skin became scales. It was like the finest polished satin, warm beneath his hand. Somewhere high above him, his heard a low snake like hiss.

“You're amazing.” Adrian breathed. Owethu stared down at him.

“Amazing?” The words were even more lilted then usual. Adrian looked up and saw with a nervous shiver that the man’s teeth had sharpened with two long thin fangs taking place of his canines. 

“Have you ever shared a bed with anyone over night?” He asked tensely. The large man shook his head.

“No. When we breed, we part soon after to lessen the risk of further violence.” He rumbled. Adrian swallowed.

“How would you though? With me, I mean.” He could feel the heat in his face. 

“We can try.” Owethu muttered though he sounded unsure. Owethu shifted, the movement like an oiled piece of machinery rather than a jerky organic movement. It was unnerving. He pressed into the space and Adrian was forced backwards by the bulk of him. His calf hit the edge of the bed. Owethu came closer and Adrian slid backwards. His heart was beating fast in his chest. The naga started to coil around him. 

“Are you scared of me?” Owethu muttered, his face lowering to Adrian’s.

“Yes. A little. I’m not an idiot. Or a liar. I’m not going to pretend I’m completely fine.” He whispered. Slowly, he pressed a kiss to the corner of Owethu’s mouth, kitten like and soft. The larger male paused for a moment before leaning in, firming the kiss and nicking his bottom lip. Powerful arms slid around Adrian’s torso as he knelt on the bed, his own arms wrapping around Owethu’s neck. 

Adrian half expected the kiss to turn vicious but although it got deeper, the naga was restraining himself and kept the long fangs from cutting. Adrian let out a gasp as he was pulled forward so that he was straddling the sleek scaled waist, Owethu on his back on the mattress.

The boy shivered violently as he felt large coils shift to wrap around his own waist, pinning him to the naga. 

“You are the weirdest human I have ever met.” Owethu muttered and kissed him again. Adrian whimpered softly as scales slid against his legs and ankles, wrapping him in warm solid muscle. His was body was completely bound, only his arms free above his head. He thought he would be absolutely terrified. He wasn’t though. 

He felt strangely free. There wasn’t anything from the outside world that could reach him in here. Not the men trying to take him away, not the other naga who would kill him without a second thought, not his own haunting loneliness and inadequacies that clawed at it him from any empty corridor he couldn’t fill. When he felt Owethu pull back, Adrian tightened his grip on the man’s neck.

“Don’t go yet. Please. Can we just stay like this for a while?” His voice was choked with tears. 

“Why are you crying. Am I hurting you?” Owethu murmured, his brows pinched with confusion. The boy shook his head.

“You’re not hurting me. Just don’t let go.” He rasped. A large hand slid into his hair and tugged him back to rest his forehead under the naga’s chin. He let out a long breath and closed his eyes, letting himself float in this strange place between solidity and nothingness. 

Somewhere in that dark, the golden strands of their mate bound coiled a little more tightly together.

\--

END

\--


	14. A Different Kind of Serpent

\--

Chapter Fourteen

A Different Kind of Serpent

\--

Owethu stared down in wonder at his mate. The boy had fallen asleep, his grip on Owethu almost as tight as the one Owethu had on him. He had worried the boy would panic. He knew there were many humans that found the embrace of a naga to be claustrophobic. Others simply couldn’t fight the instinctive panic. He had humans openly scream at the sight of him in his natural form over the decades.

He had a vague memory of a human male pissing himself once after the idiot had charged uninvited into his office one late June. Adrian shifted slightly in his coils. Owethu sniffed at the boy’s throat. The urge to bite and claim was stronger than ever. This was not helped by the thought that the boy would probably let him. 

The scent of him, warm and clean coated his palette. He wanted to force sound from that throat, squeeze, bite and fuck. Owethu ground his teeth together, his claws flexing slightly. His mate’s feline familiars had wondered into the room as though they owned the place and leapt up onto the massive bed. They padded in and over the thick snake body without so much at a glance in the naga's direction. Bold, utterly unnatural felines as they were, they curled up on top of Owethu much as their master had done. 

The rhythm of the man's breathing changed and the body shifted, waking at last. Owethu gave a low hiss. His instinct was to clutch harder, squeeze tighter. He took in another long breathe of the warm scent. The young man made a soft contented noise and opened his eyes.

"Hi." Adrian offered. He watched his mate a little nervously. Owethu seemed to be fighting some internal struggle. The thick coils wrapped around Adrian's body were tightening and loosening. At one particularly firm squeeze, Adrian gasped and the naga's pupils contracted.

"Sorry." Owethu hissed out, releasing his death grip with what looked like a huge effort. It took a few moments for the two of them to extract themselves from each other. Adrian really had been cocooned. 

"It's okay." Adrian said quickly, freeing his arms. He rubbed at his rib.

"I'm okay. I didn't mind, really. I just need to pee." He said. He shivered slightly. He hadn't realised how cold the room had gotten being so enveloped in Owethu's body warmth. As he climbed off the bed he noticed with a sharp stab of embarrassment and heat that he was half hard. Flushing with embarrassment, he quickly scampered for the bathroom and closed the sliding down behind him. 

Despite his mass turmoil of emotions last night, he had actually slept very well. His eyes no longer itched and he felt more clear headed then he had in days. His mouth felt dry and cottony though so he gulped some water from the tap. There was a frantic scrabbling at the corner of the sliding door. A pink snoot, then bat like ears and finally a small cat head squeezed into the gap. Prince shoved and wigged until the door slid open enough for him to march in. He leapt into the sink and started to bat at the water that still dripped from the tap. Adrian snorted and turned around. Dutchess was sitting primly on the toilet seat lid. He picked her up and unceremoniously, dumped her onto a small pile of neatly folded white towels. 

After relieving himself, washing his hands and combing back his hair loosely with his fingers, he padded back into the bedroom. His suitcase was placed neatly against the wall. Adrian dug out a spare pair of loose sweatpants and changed. The apartment was already warming. He could smell the scent of warm dusty air and hear the distant rumble of heating vents. There was a wet patter of paws as Prince and Dutchess went hurling passed, Prince sliding on the smooth tiles as he went around the door frame. 

He followed the sound of Owethu's voice out of the bedroom and into the stark kitchen. The man was talking into his phone, placing an order for breakfast. Adrian shook his head sceptically.

"I can cook us something." He offered as Owethu put down the phone.

"That isn't the problem." Owethu murmured, following Adrian's figure as he went around to the fridge. He pulled open the door and stared.

"Oh." The refrigerator was filled with an assortment of what looked like wine bottles and not much else. Most of the assorted bottles didn't even have English labels. 

"Not much one for grocery shopping?" Adrian teased then chuckled as he imagined the massive ebony man shopping for orange juice and strawberry jam, his snake like pupils scaring the checkout server into dropping his receipt. 

"No." Owethu grumbled. The atmosphere between them was far more relaxed than usual. 

"Breakfast and coffee will be here in fifteen minutes." He added gruffly. Adrian smiled.

"Alright. Let me feed these two or they will probably eat the lot for us." He said, indicating the two cats who were now winding dangerously in and out of his legs. He tried to waddle over to their food bowls without tripping on tails or stepping on paws.

"You're not helping." He muttered at them. They both began to mew loudly as he bent to pick up their food dishes. As he squeezed out the contents of two cat food packets, he heard Owethu making another phone call. This conversation took place in a completely different language. By the speed of the words and clipped tone, he could guess the nature of the call. He watched the cats eat madly for a few minutes. The food was gone in a startling short time. Both sat back, licked their lips and padded away, now content to ignore him. 

"Everything okay?" Adrian asked hesitantly as he came back over to the counter. 

"Yes. The mess of last night has been cleared away. The next of kin has been notified." This struck Adrian as an odd thing to say.

"Next of kin? Weren't all the naga there last night? Who else died?" 

"Two naga and one human servant who was stupid enough to try and intervene. His mistress cut him to ribbons." Owethu said, not looking up from his phone screen.

"What?" Adrian spluttered.

"It happens occasionally. Those who challenged me directly for title could not be allowed to live. There were many more injured but nothing life threatening. I would have killed more but my grandfather wanted to spare the young nagas who were potential breeding pairs for the clan." He sounded bored, as though he were talking about last week's weather instead a massacre of his own kinsmen. Adrian shook his head, utterly at a loss for words.

"And do humans die often here?" 

"All of our human workers sign a very detailed employment contract. They know what the dangers are and are well compensated." He said drily. Adrian was saved from trying to think of a response for this rather insane conversation when the elevator pinged and a well-dressed waiter in a crisp black and white uniform pushed a small cart into the apartment. 

"Your breakfast sirs." Said the man with a deep bow. He then turned and stepped back into the elevator as the doors slid closed. Adrian blinked. The smell of hot food, bacon, toast and something sweet made his stomach rumbled loudly. He really hadn't eaten much the day before. He went over cautiously and looked down at the trays.

"Wow." He heard himself say. Owethu had a slightly smug smile as he started to fill his plate with several slices of salmon, scrambled eggs and bacon. Adrian picked up the other plate. It had been warmed. 

"Okay, this is pretty cool." He admitted. He helped himself to a bit of everything and sat down at the table. 

“We have staff in the kitchens at almost all hours.” The naga said smugly. Adrian shrugged.

“This is nice but I would miss having a hardy homecooked meal. I suppose you can’t miss what you’ve never had.” He said, licking butter off his finger. Owethu watched him, his fork rather loose in his hand.

“I suppose.” The older man muttered. The ate for a few more minutes, Adrian working up the courage to ask. 

"Can it always be like that?" Adrian asked softly. Owethu frowned.

"What?"

"Sleeping with you in that form." Adrian said timidly. The naga's eyebrows rose.

"Most would find me cumbersome or threatening in that form." 

"I haven't slept that well in years." Adrian confessed. His mate tilted his head.

"I would... prefer it." Owethu said finally. Adrian's, his face rather warm, nodded.

"Me too." They lapsed into silence again. They ate for a while, the chinking of cutlery and sips off coffee their background noise. Prince came over hopefully and was rewarded by a small piece of bacon. Adrian had to promptly cut off another piece as Duchess shot him a scorching look. 

“Is it safe to feed them that?” Owethu asked, his expression somewhere between amusement and annoyance.

“I honestly have no idea. I mean, they’re not really cats, are they?” He said as Duchess tried to climb painfully up his trouser leg with clawed paws. Owethu frowned.

“You really don’t seem to know much about familiars.” The naga said. Adrian sighed.

“No. Not really. They are so insanely rare. We were taught the basics about them in school but to be honest, I don’t remember much of what was said. I probably have some notes in my old school books and my family library would probably have more still but that would require going home and…” 

“Your home being the house you were living at?” Adrian frowned.

“Well yes.” He frowning. It was true that sometimes it didn’t feel like much of a home but the alternative was the family manor and Adrian neither had the strength nor the will power to set foot back in that place yet. 

“Is it possible to send someone to search in your place?” Owethu asked. The human shook his head.

“Not really. The house wards have been ramped all the way up. I would have to be there in person to deactivate them.” Owethu gave him a particularly sharp look that could only really be read as ‘you’re not going anywhere’. 

Adrian stared down into his empty coffee mug. He wondered vaguely if he could get the naga to order him another one. Before he could voice this question there was a loud ring, making him jump. Owethu reached for his phone and put it to his ear.

“Yes?”

“Sir, there is a man at the front desk. He says his name is Wilson Addison. He says he is here as Master Adrian’s representative.” Adrian could hear the conversation sitting so close to the naga. He frowned. He knew that name. The name reached deep into Adrian's brain and tickled a distant memory. It was a shock to the system to hear it again after so many years. He nodded his head quickly at the other man. Owethu did not look over pleased. His grip on the phone tightened a little but he said

“Send him up.” He cut off the call before the receptionist could reply. Owethu left the table and marched back into the bedroom, probably to put on something other then shorts. It was a shame; Adrian had really admired the view.

He was dressed quickly and stepped back out in time for the elevator to chime. Adrian got up to join him. A tall thin man in a dark grey suit and yellow tie stepped into the corridor. He had a rather ridged looking smile, as though it was fixed in place. Though he couldn’t be any older than forty, his face was rather heavily lined and his hair was an unnaturally bright brown, as though he had only had dyed a day ago. The man looked about and gave a whistle.

“Certainly different from your last place.” Said the man, catching sight of him. Brief case in one hand he reached out with his other to shake with the other. Owethu made a low growl and stepped in front, blocking him. The man’s smile faltered ever so slightly. To his credit, he didn’t flinch away from the massive snake man now glaring down at him.

"Wilson Addison" Said the man, holding out a hand to Owethu instead. The nag didn’t take it. 

"You're our family lawyer." Adrian said slowly. Mr Addison nodded.

"Yes. As soon as your name crossed my desk I jumped into action. I don't mean to boast but I have far more experience with cross species relations than anyone else in the country. It wasn't uncommon back in your father's day for him to uncover research or write an article that often got him into trouble with the disclosure of inter species classified information. Why, I remember back in-"

"I'm sorry. I don't mean to be rude, but what are you doing here?" Adrian cut across. Owethu was hissing low in front of him. The noise was so soft, it was near inaudible to the ear. Adrian shot him a warning look. Mr Addison looked momentarily puzzled.

"Why, I am here to represent you of course." 

"Represent me? What for? What I am being charged with?" Adrian said, feeling his gut twist uncomfortably. 

"Nothing as of yet but I am sure that even as we speak, the council is organising a way to extract you from this premises given that you won't leave on your own. You won’t leave on your own correct?”

“That is correct.” Owethu barked. Adrian gave the man a shove.

“Alright, stop that. I’m perfectly able to answer for myself.” Adrian snapped. His mate glared, his pupils contracting into slits. Far to used to this to be bother by it, Adrian headed back for the kitchen area. It was the only place with a semi comfortable place to sit.

“Order us some more coffee.” He said, handing the man his phone. Owethu looked a little flummoxed. He probably wasn't made to order for others to often in his world…

Adrian sat and Mr Addison joined him, placing the brief case on the table.

“It’s been years.” Adrian muttered. The lawyer nodded.

“Yes. The last time we met, I was helping your father work out that custody case involving that griffon.” Adrian smiled softly at the memory.

“Whatever happened to that griffon?” He asked. Mr Addison sighed, shaking his head.

“Very sad. In the end it had to be sent back to the gate guardian. Your father was rather upset by the whole process but I did warn him not to get so attached.” Owethu bused himself with shoving the little breakfast trolley back to the elevator. Adrian did notice that he could feel Owethu’s annoyance, not just a vague sense of something but as a real solid emotion. 

Their connection had grown just a little. He smiled.

“Bet my father could never have seen this coming.” Adrian said, nodding to the retreating naga. To his astonishment Mr Addison frowned and shook his head.

“You would be surprised what your father thought might happen.” 

“What do you mean?” Adrian asked, sitting up a little straighter. The lawyer scratched at his ear distractedly. 

“Well when your affinity presented itself, it became very clear that you were not going to develop at a normal rate. First off, your affinity came on early for your age group. Unusual talents usually do but yours in particular is one that doesn’t even have a proper record in this country. Shield bearers are very rare in practitioner history.” Mr Addison pulled his brief case a little closer. 

“There are others like Adrian?” Owethu asked, coming back over. He was holding several cups of steaming coffee. Adrian had been so focused on the lawyer he hadn’t even heard the elevator door open or close. He took a mug gratefully. The other two were set down on the table. 

“None living as far I can tell. Public records aren’t particularly reliable in third world countries though so there may be another shield master somewhere in a more remote region but as far as the council is concerned, you are the only one.”

“They have never been concerned with me before now.” Adrian said. Mr Addison hummed in a dismissive sort of way.

“I hate to disagree with you on that but the council have always had their eye on you. It’s just you were mostly underage. After the tragic loss of your family, you practically became a recluse who appeared to more or less have given up on magic. Then something changed…” The man’s eyes drifted towards Owethu. 

“This acquisition of familiars and your decision to align yourself to the naga clan has made you the headline of every global news story.” Adrian gripped his cup tighter.

“I didn’t ‘align’ myself with them. Owethu is my bonded mate.” Mr Addison’s eyes went wide.

“Well of course that it the rumour but-”

“It is fact.” Owethu hissed. The lawyer held his hands up in supplication.

“Well that will certainly help your case.” Adrian shot out of his chair.

“What case!?” He shouted, loosing some of his patience. Mr Addison sighed deeply.

“The problem, Mr Blackthorn, is that as an adult you would have the right to chose to stay within the clan. You would still have to provide evidence for a soul bond but you would be within your rights to refuse any magical testing or training as the council sees fit.” He said. Adrian shook his head, not understanding.

“But. Whilst you are not a young teenager any more, you are not yet twenty-one either.” There was silence for a moment as they absorbed what the man was saying. Adrian blinked. He opened his mouth and then closed it. 

“I have been on my own for over a year. I have my own house, I graduated high school. I have a job and a university level degree.” He said all this in as level voice as he could manage. The blood was pounding in his ears. This was ridiculous. He was a fucking adult! 

“All true but not admissible in a court. The facts are that the council will not want such a high levelled practitioner separated from them.”

“They don’t want him away from their control and influence.” Owethu snarled. The powerfully built man seemed to be losing a little of his own patience. Hints of scales were starting to appear over the dark ebony skin. His accent was heavier and his eyes were narrowing. The lawyer nodded.

“More or less.” He said.

“They can’t do that!” Adrian spluttered, his hands trembling. His anger was seesawing with fear.

“Actually, they might be able to. It is the public policy of the State to assure the health, safety and welfare of those under the age of twenty-one. This shall be the court’s primary concern when making any order regarding custody.”

“Custody!?” Adrian squawked.

“To do so, the court will consider a wide variety of factors in order to determine what is in the best interest of the minor involved. Some of these factors include any history of abuse, violence, negative environmental factors and the relationship between the minor and its parents. As Adrian lost his parents in a very traumatic and public way, I imagine they will argue that he is not within his right mind, wanting to live with Naga – a species that is historically seen as violent and intolerant of other species.” Owethu charged forward but Adrian stepped out in front of him. He was barely holding onto his own panic, he didn’t need Owethu doing something they would regret. 

“This is insane! This isn’t just a choice for us! Owethu balances my magic! It’s the only reason why every object in the room isn’t being thrown against the walls! I need him.” He was surprised and afraid of the wave of panic this conversation was calling up in him. The idea of being separated from Owethu made him feel light headed. A large hand clamped down on his shoulder. Owethu pressed him gently back into the chair.

“That could be difficult to prove without extensive and potentially invasive testing. The soul bond between a human and a Naga is unheard of. It’s not as simple as just removing you from him. If the magic fluctuations are bad enough, they could kill you before the medical staff can conclusively place your mate as the cause of your affinity’s stability.” 

Adrian felt sick. He was shaking subtly all over. There was a loud mewl as both cats seemed to appear from no-where, sensing their master’s distress. Mr Addison cooed at Duchess who completely ignored him as she pressed herself bodily against Adrian’s leg. Prince jumped up onto the table, purring loudly. 

“What do you want us to do?” Owethu said with forced calm, his hand still on Adrian’s shoulder.

“Well there are things we can do to improve your chances. The first and most obvious thing we need to organise is for Adrian to move back into the Blackthorn manor.” It was a good thing that Adrian had finished his coffee as he would have made a rather large mess. As it was, the cup hit the floor with a loud crack, and split neatly into three pieces. Owethu looked at his mate's pale face and back to the lawyer, his lips curling with anger and irritation.

"Why?" He hissed. 

"Because it is the safest place for him at the moment. We are trying to prove that his decision to be with you is for his health. Living at Naga headquarters is ill advisable. Just last night you had a human death on the premises. That doesn’t look good. Not at all.” Mr Addison said gravely. 

“Why can’t I just go back to my house?” Adrian croaked.

“For starters, your current house is not as well protected. Going back to the manor would also show that you can take charge, that you are ready to take on the Blackthorn title and all it represents.”

He wasn’t though. He wasn’t ready for that, couldn’t do that. His throat was very dry. The scrambled eggs and bacon he had eaten was tossing violently in his stomach. He looked from Mr Addison to Owethu, paralyzed with fear and sudden misery.

“He will go if I can go with him.” Owethu said. Adrian just sat there, feeling like he’d been punched. That was given. There was no way he could face setting foot in those empty halls alone.

“Excellent. That manor represents a huge source of magic as well as historical content. To have it abandoned even this long is troubling. Well. I think we should leave it there for today. There is a lot to prepare. He will need an escort to pick up his things of course and I will need to collect the appropriate papers. Let’s meet in shall we say, three days? That’s plenty of time. It was wonderful to see you again Mr Blackthorn.” He looked as though he was going to hold out his hand but seeing how green Adrian was going seemed to think better of it. Instead he gave a pompous little bow, picked up his briefcase and headed for the elevator. 

There was a chime, the sound of mechanical sliding doors and then silence. 

\--

END

\--


	15. Going Home

\--

Chapter Fifteen

Going Home

\--

Adrian was sitting in the bottom of the shower, letting the water slam down on him in a disappointingly familiar fashion. Thankfully, he had managed to keep down his breakfast but only just. He did now have a rather horrible headache. His brain seemed to feel swollen under the immense amount of stressful information it was struggling to process. Through the steam, he could make out two furry outlines on the other side of the shower wall. If he opened the stall door, he was sure they would run in. A dark, much taller figure appeared in the bathroom.

“Are you well?” Owethu murmured in his deep voice. Adrian leant his head back against the tile. 

“Not going to lie, I’ve felt better.” He said. 

“Have you been back to the manor at all after you left?” Adrian felt a familiar pang of guilt at the question.

“No. I know that makes me a coward but I haven’t. I did a shit job at locking up the place to. Any building with a magic signature, let alone one as old and powerful as the Blackthorn Manor requires a lot of upkeep and protection. I just raised the wards, put a few extras in place and fled with whatever clothes I could fit in my suitcase.” 

“Do you a have list of contact for the stuff that used to work there?” Owethu murmured. Adrian looked at him through the steam.

“I think so. Why? I’m sure they would have all moved on by now with new jobs.”

“Would you feel better to have any of them there?” Adrian smiled. It was actually a very thoughtful thing for the naga to offer considering the man was not generally used to expressing concern.

“Amy Gresham.” Adrian said after a long minute.

“She was one of the maids but truthfully she was more like a nanny. She looked after Jenny and me since we were toddlers. I… I haven’t called since my parents died.” Owethu nodded.

“Do you still have her phone number?” Adrian nodded and slowly got up off the floor. Owethu tactfully looked away as he turned off the water and climbed out of the shower. He reached for a towel. 

He made a small noise of disgust as both cats began to rub up against his wet legs, sticking their fur to him.

“Come on guys, really?!” He spluttered, trying to nudge them away with his foot.

“They are persistent.” Owethu noted drily. 

“They are.” Adrian agreed as he padded back in to the bedroom, the towel wrapped securely around his waist. As he got dressed, he said:

“It’s weird seeing Mr Addison again. I never imagined something like this would happen.” 

“I wouldn’t imagine your council will have had its authority challenged to this degree. You are effectively royalty, with your family history being as renowned as it is.” Owethu murmured, leaning against the door frame. 

“Yes, but a custody hearing? That is beyond insane. Though, I suppose to you I am a child. What are you, like two hundred years old?” He said with a weak smile. Owethu didn’t react. Adrian turned to look at him better.

“Three hundred?” Nothing. Adrian felt his jaw drop a little.

“Four hundred?” He asked. Owethu let out a long sigh.

“I am four hundred and thirty-two.” The naga murmured. Adrian stared.

“Seriously, what the fuck is happening to my life!?” He shouted, his voice coming out a little hysterical. Maybe this was some sort of anxiety or PTSD. His emotions seemed to be just as all over the place as his magic was. He wanted it all to stop. He remembered distantly a joke he and Lyndall had made once that they should all run off to Tibet and become goat farmers in the hills. 

A firm grip took hold of his jaw and he was tugged around until he was staring up into the gold eyes.

“I don’t consider you a child.” Owethu murmured. He had to bend to brush his lips to his mate’s. Adrian sagged a little. 

“That actually means a lot.” Adrian mumbled, his cheeks warming. They drew apart and Adrian finished putting on his shoes and socks.

“I definitely want Daniel to come with us.” He said as Prince attempted to climb his leg. After pulling on a jumper, he grabbed the little cat and perched him atop his shoulder. Prince purred happily. 

“Why?” Owethu said grumpily. 

“Because he’s my friend, he knows the property, he’s another human practitioner so it will look better on the undoubtable millions of cameras that will be waiting for us and because I want him there if he can come.” Adrian shot back firmly. His mate shifted; his usual stoic features down turned with his annoyance. 

“Very well but we will also bring Peters.” Adrian frowned.

“Who?” 

“He is one of the human servants that I personally interviewed to serve to the clan. He is loyal to me and well trained.” Owethu said, once more tapping away on his phone. Adrian raised an eyebrow.

“Are you expecting us to be attacked?”

“Are you certain we won’t be?” Owethu shot back.

“Fair point.” Adrian muttered. 

\--

Henry Peters turned out to be almost as scary looking as his naga masters. Tailed in an all-black suit with a military short hair-cut and serve jawline, the tall man looked more like a body guard then any sort of valet or butler. He looked just as stern as Owethu did and greeted Adrian with a deep bow. Adrian saw a hint of a chest harness and holster under the suit jacket. 

“I will be your driver today sir.” Peters said. 

“Is there any point in asking you not to bow or call me sir?” Adrian asked as grabbed the handle of his suitcase.

“No sir.” Said Peters. Adrian sighed.

“Didn’t think so.” 

He had called Daniel and only got his voice mail but his enormous relief, Daniel had called him back not ten minutes later. 

“Sorry I missed your call man. My phones has been ringing nearly non stop since yesterday. No idea how half these people got my fucking number but that’s besides the point.” Daniel dropped his voice and asked

“How are you though?” Adrian swallowed a lump in his throat and gave a weak laugh.

“Ah you know. Do you remember Mr Addison?” He asked. 

“Your dad’s lawyer?” Daniel said slowly.

“Well, my lawyer now.” And he went on to explain the earlier conversation. Daniel gave a low whistle.

“I’ll be right there, man. Just give me fifteen minutes.” Adrian felt a strong rush of gratitude and affection for his child hood friend as he put down the phone and started packing up his few personal affects back into the suitcase. Mr Henry Peters had stepped off the elevator only minutes after.

“Thanks.” He said numbly as Peters took the suitcase and started wheeling it towards the elevator. 

“We have to wait for Daniel. He won’t be long.” Owethu nodded to show he had heard but didn’t say anything.

“What about your grandfather? Is he going to be annoyed that your leaving the tower?” Adrian asked, concerned. He didn’t want to get Owethu in trouble with his clan. 

“I have already spoken with him. It is fine.” He said. He didn’t quite meet Adrian’s eyes when he said this though and Adrian had a funny feeling that the naga wasn’t telling him the whole story. Duchess let out a yowl and stared up at them both with her bright mismatched eyes.

“Are you bringing anything?” Adrian tried not to sound as desperate as he felt but the idea of Owethu not staying with him in the manor was enough to make him feel jittery. The naga nodded.

“I already have a travel case that stays packed. My sister and I are often sent to various functions.” He murmured. He was still typing on his phone. 

“Oh.” Adrian said. 

“Let us go down to the foyer.” Owethu headed for the elevator. With Prince still perched on his shoulder like an exceptionally fluffy bird and Duchess at his heels, Adrian followed. 

He wanted to give off the impression of calm and confidence. He had chosen a pair of pale grey slacks and a button-down shirt and navy sweater. It was a sort of professional casual look that he often wore to the gallery, warm but proficient. Now if only he could rearrange his face into expression that didn’t look like he was about to hurl and he might be able to pull it off. 

On instinct he bent down and scooped up Duchess, needing to hold onto something to stop his hands shaking. Both cats let out low rumbling purrs. It helped. A little. The decent of that elevator felt like a journey to the guillotine. He didn’t remember it being so damn slow but each glowing number seemed to be counting down to his doom. It chimed cheerfully as it reached ground level.

“Be prepared. I’m won’t let you out of my sight. Just stay by myself until we get to the car.” Owethu rumbled. Adrian nodded. 

There was perhaps a few second delay before the reporters realised Adrian Blackthorn was coming out of the elevator with Owethu. Adrian got a look at the flawless white marble floor and reception desk before the world started to flash. Squinting, he could see that barriers had been set up outside the huge glass walls and front door to stop the hoard of people getting closer. Armed uniformed guards as well as a few city police officers were calling over the crowd, pushing people back. There was noise, just noise. People shouting his name, shouting questions, just shouting. 

To his great relief, Daniel was standing by the front desk, looking both angry and worried. He looked a bit windswept, his usually styled hair rather messy. He came over to them, his eyebrows going up as Peters stepped forward to intercept him.

“It’s okay, he’s coming with us.” Adrian said quickly. Peters looked to Owethu who gave a curt nod.

“Very well sir, this way please.” He swept down a corridor leading away from the screaming crowd.

“This is madness. You won’t believe what I went through to get through that lot. I hate to threaten to set a few of them on fire when they didn’t move.” Daniel said. Adrian winced. 

“Thanks for coming.” Adrian said honestly. His friend smirked at him.

“As if you could have stopped me. So, who’s the American James Bond?” He asked, nodded to Peters.

“Henry Peters. He’s one of Owethu’s men. He’s coming with us for added protection.” 

“Is he carrying a gun?” Daniel asked flatly. 

“Probably.” Adrian sighed. Duchess mewed. Daniel looked down at her.

“And how are these guys doing?” Daniel reached out a finger and scratched one black ear. Duchess preened.

“Good. Pains in the ass, but good.” Owethu was walking behind them. A few people ducked back out of the corridor at the sight of them. Peters opened a door at the end of the hall and swept them through it. 

Down a small flight of steps and the little group was met with cool damp air of an underground carpark. Peters was leading them to a massive black jeep. 

“Jeez, is that thing suppose to be armour plated?” Daniel asked in disgust.

“Near to.” Came the man’s reply. Adrian just sighed.

“Let’s just get this over with.” He climbed in, the two cats leaping onto the flush seats ahead of him. 

“You could put your head down” Daniel suggested as the vehicle began to move. The doors locked with a thunk. 

“You are meant to be demonstrating your strength and independence.” Owethu said in his deep voice. Daniel sent the naga a death glare from where the naga sat in the front seat. 

Adrian took a steadying breath, scooping Prince into his lap. He slid his fingers into the silky soft fur. 

“He’s right. I have to do this.” Adrian said. Daniel opened his mouth to argue but seemed to think better of it. It didn’t take long for the vehicle to reach the ramp up into the evening sunlight. 

The car was not able to move faster than a crawl because there were people everywhere. Adrian tried to look calm and composed. Something hit the car from the other side. Small claws caught his wrist. He looked down. He stared into the cat eyes of his familiar. He sat that way, his eyes locked with the crystal blue and green of Prince’s. 

The drive was almost completely silent. There was a hand radio attached to the dash. Every now and then a voice would break through, often not in English. Occasionally Owethu would pick it up and reply. If it was important, he didn’t say. 

It was nearly forty minutes before they reached Blackthorn Manor. He knew they had reached the boarder of the property because the old family wards hummed in response to his presence. He shivered. Even after the engine turned off and the door unlocked, Adrian didn’t move. He staying in his seat. Duchess leapt down but Prince stayed in his lap, purring. 

“Come on dude.” Daniel coaxed. Adrian still didn’t move. A large ebony hand close gently on his wrist. He looked up; his throat dry.

“Come.” Owethu murmured. Slowly he climbed down, Prince bounding after Duchess ahead of him. As the car door closed Owethu’s head turned towards the huge manor house.

“What is that?” He asked in a low tone. Adrian knew what he meant but it was Daniel that answered.

“The wards protecting the house. They’re so old and strong that even mundane humans can feel the vibration in the air if they get to close. House wards are one of the few spells that strengthen over time rather than weaken so long as member of the family bloodline still lives.” The fire mage explained with a shrug. Adrian stared up at the old manor.

It was almost exactly how he remembered it. The lawn was overgrown, the trees a little busher, the shrubs rather in need of a trim but the outside of his family home was almost exactly how he had left it. A woman was standing there, waiting for them. Adrian’s throat was suddenly tight.

“I took the contact from your phone and called.” Owethu explained as the woman approached. 

“Amy.” He croaked; his mouth very dry. She had aged. From what he’d known, she was in her early twenties when she had first started to work for the Blackthorn family. He remembered her warm smile, the touch of blush she always wore and her dark honey flyaway hair that she often tied back with ribbon. Now though, she had changed the colour of her hair to a dark brown and there were lines around her eyes that he didn’t remember being there before. Adrian hadn’t spent much time at home in his later teens. 

“Adrian.” She breathed. She dropped her handbag and rushed to him. She flung her arms around him. He was now half a head taller than her. Tears bit at the corners of his eyes as he hugged her back tightly. Daniel pointedly went to unload the car. 

Adrian felt a sharp stab of jealousy and annoyance and knew at once that the emotion was coming down the link from Owethu. He reluctantly pulled away from her. It would probably be a bad first impression for his mate to attack one of his oldest friends. 

“And Daniel.” Amy crooned. Daniel closed the trunk of the car and swept her up, making her laugh.

“Hi Mrs G.” He said, setting her down again. She grinned at them both and then paused on Owethu. The naga was standing completely still, face blank. Adrian sighed. 

“This is Owethu. My… mate.” He said awkwardly. Amy nodded, her eyes wide.

“I had heard.”

“You and the rest of the world.” Adrian said bitterly, not meeting her eyes. She laughed kindly. 

“We should head inside. You are staying here tonight?” She asked. Adrian nodded mutely. 

“Do you have the keys?” Owethu asked. Daniel gave a loud snort. 

“Its not locked. Not by a physical key anyway.” Daniel said, his voice mildly condescending. 

Adrian took a deep breathe and headed for the front doors. The others followed at a safe distance. The protection wards he had placed after his family’s deaths were still in place but he was unpleasantly surprised to see that they were scorched in some places.

“What’s wrong?” Owethu asked, seeing his frown.

“Someone has tried to break through the wards since I was last here. Multiple times.”

“Did they get through?” Daniel called.

“No. I don’t think so. My shields don’t function the same way normal shielding spells do. It look like they were enough to ward off the attack.”

“Well, we always knew this is what we might find.” Daniel reminded him. He nodded. 

“I know.” Adrian closed his eyes and breathed in. The smell of the place was so powerfully familiar. It caused a piercing sort of ache low in his chest. He didn’t want to be forced back here. Not like this. 

He reached out, the magic unfurling like a cat stretching in the sun. The humming of the wards got loader and loader, rhythmic deep done into his bones. He asked them to power down. His own spell work on top had been rather messy but still efficient. Oddly enough he could see that it was his raw emotions that had helped set the original network over his grandfather’s original one. Grief and loss were powerful things. 

Slowly, piece by delicate piece, he unplucked the chaos. The sigils began to untangle under his pressure and the humming eased away. When he opened his eyes, the shield spell had gone.

“It’s safe now.” He said. The group stepped into the foyer. They were greeted with the scents of old wood, cloying dust, stillness and mildew. As he had suspected, he had not quite closed things up properly when he had left. 

“We will have to contact the electricity company to organise lighting and-”

“Already done.” Henry Peters said as he came in behind them with a suitcase. 

“Okay, how and when did you do that exactly?” Adrian groaned. Mr Peters only gave another short annoying bow. 

“Perhaps we can see that you room is-”

“No.” The word came out loud and brittle. Amy gave him a slightly startled look.

“No. I’m sorry but, I can’t sleep in there.” He felt pathetic for saying it out loud but her expression turned gentle and she smiled again.

“There are many lovely rooms here if I recall. Why don’t we go have a look at the spares and you pick one that you’d like to stay in?” He was relieved that she was so understanding. He nodded weakly. 

“Yeah, that sounds good.” Daniel and Peters went one way whilst Amy, Owethu and Adrian went the other. Little puffs of dust appeared under their feet as the went up the stairs and onto red carpet hallway. Amy opened doors as they went. In some rooms, much of the furniture had been covered up whilst in others hadn’t been touched at all, waiting for their occupants to return. Adrian walked very stiffly. It was utterly bizarre how a place that had been so warm and familiar now felt so utterly unfriendly and alien. 

“How about this one?” Amy’s voice jolted him from unhappy thoughts and he looked through the doorway.

The room was furnished in warm tones with a wooden bedframe, soft cream walls and pale gold curtains. There was an arm chair in one corner in an outdated flowery pattern. The rug in the centre of the room was a little threadbare and dusty much like the rest of the manor. 

“This bedroom was never used as far as I know except for the odd guest every now and again.” Amy said. Adrian nodded, peering around the corner to the ensuite. He could see white tiles and deep bathtub. Being right on the other end of the manor, he barely remembered this room.

“We could set you both in here for now. I’ll strip the bed and put on fresh linens and you can unpack in here.” Amy said kindly. She moved over to the window, opened the curtains fully and worked the frame open. Mouth dry, Adrian looked over at Owethu. The naga nodded.

“This room will be fine.” The naga said in his deep voice. Adrian tucked himself into Owethu side, needing the contact. The man didn’t protest. 

“Amy, wait.” Adrian called. She stopped.

“Thank you for coming. You didn’t have to.” He croaked. She crossed back over to him and after a quick glance up a the naga she took Adrian’s hand in her small ones.

“Yes, I really did.” She said firmly. Then she beamed.

“Besides, if your offering a job, I will take it. My youngest is starting college this year and I could use the extra money.” She said matter-of-factly. She spun and left the room. 

“With your approval, I will bring on a few more of my people to help with cleaning and moving.” Owethu murmured. Adrian looked up at him. He felt to raw to speak so he just nodded. 

In all honestly, this is what he had badly needed last time, an adult that could help shoulder some of the burden. He didn’t doubt that Amy as well as Edmund and a few of the other servants would have very much like to have helped but at the time, the pain was to much. With his father and mother gone, a couple of the servant had handed in their resignations by the weeks end. He didn’t blame them. He couldn’t stand the concern and worry on their faces and he could bring himself to stay in the manor. Now he had no choice.

“Sit, your loosing colour.” Owethu growled, pulling him over to the bed. 

“Thank you. For all of this.” He said wearily. Prince and Duchess pelted madly into the room; their tails stuck up in the air as they flung themselves under the bed in a mad game of tag. Adrian couldn’t help but give a tiny snort of amusement. 

“They’re both going to be filthy.” He said.

“I’m not bathing them.” Owethu said in disgust. This time Adrian did laugh.

“I wouldn’t ask you too.” He promised. The naga tipped his chin up. The kiss that followed was slow and warm. Hands placed on either side of Adrian legs on the bed covers, Owethu pressed his advantage, deepening the kiss. There was the slightly hint of sharp teeth. Adrian shivered, their bond flickering gold in his mind’s eye. 

“Peters will come back with a list of the basics we will need.” Owethu said as he drew back. Feeling a little better Adrian nodded. 

“I can do an online order for groceries and other essentials. It will be easier to just get everything delivered here.” He offered. The naga nodded.

“Are you tired?” He asked. Adrian shook his head.

“Then come. There is a lot of work to be done.”

\--

END

\--


	16. Mating Bonds

\--

Chapter Sixteen 

Mending Bonds 

\--

It took almost four hours for the little group to be organised. In that time two more people from Owethu’s human staff arrived, a rather round but kind woman by the name of Beth Winter and a younger man by the name of Lanh Nguyen who spoke with a quiet voice that carried a strong Vietnamese accent. Beth and Amy marched off to start preparing rooms and cleaning out over a year’s worth of dust and cobwebs from the main area of the house. They weren’t going to make much of a dent in the late afternoon light, but they could at least clean the rooms that would be used tonight. 

Peters had indeed compiled a list of everything they would need to purchase for basic meals and day to day cleaning. Thankfully, much of the store room goods were still in date and sealed against mice or insects. The massive pantry still had containers of rice, flour, potato starch and a host of other ingredients. All they really needed was fresh produce. The sight of so many things left in the pantry made Adrian wince with embarrassment. He really hadn't organized the removal of much when he had left

“I’ve ordered some groceries online but it will be interesting to see if anyone can get through the crowds to deliver it tomorrow. I’m not sure what we are going to do for dinner tonight.” Adrian sighed.

“I could go get something and just bring it back?” Daniel offered as he sat perched on the kitchen bench. Adrian pulled a face.

“I don’t mean to discourage you but I guarantee there are probably already cars parked at the turn into the estate, undoubtably more reporters. Or worse, council officials.” Adrian sighed. Daniel groaned.

“It is not surprising, young masters.” Peters said as he continued to spray and wipe down all of the kitchen surfaces. Thankfully there had still been quite a bit of the basic cleaning supplies left in the cupboards too.

“You know, they would properly try and hound anyone coming or going.” Daniel grumbled. 

“I activated the boundary wards an hour ago so they can’t get any closer. No one will be able to set food on Blackthorn estate without approval.” Adrian sighed.

“Suppose we could have boiled rice for dinner.” Daniel suggested grumpily, only half joking. Adrian glanced over at Owethu. He was about to ask the naga if he had any suggestions when his boundary wards chimed inside him, alerting him. He froze, concentrating and his face split into a genuine smile as a familiar magical signature requested entry.

“What is it?” Daniel asked. 

“I think our problems have been predicted.” Adrian said, grinning. He rushed to the front door followed by his very confused best friend. It took nearly ten minutes for a familiar little blue car to come crunching across the gravel.

“Lyndall!” They both yelled as a young woman in a flowery dress climbed out of her car.

“I had a feeling you boys would need these. Come help me unload them.” Never before had Adrian been so grateful for Lyndall’s particular gift. She hadn’t bought just two pizzas, she had bought ten, enough for a small army. The boys rushed forward, Daniel sticking his head inside the car and groaning at the delicious smell of melted cheese, garlic and sauce.

“I asked for one of everything on the main menu.” She said happily as she pulled out a large overnight bag. Clearly, she had come well prepared. 

“I’m staying tonight too.” She said as she caught Adrian starring. Adrian had to blink back tears at the fierce stab of gratitude and love he felt for his friends right then. They didn’t have to get involved in his mess. They were taking time out of their lives and putting themselves into an unwanted spotlight just for him.

“I’ll pay you back for the pizza.” He croaked. She snorted and waved him off.

“No, you won’t but you’ll let me pick whatever room I want.” She said and followed Daniel inside. Adrian grabbed the last of the tittering tower of pizza boxes and went in after them.

The group of eight plus the two cats sat at one of the massive dining table. Amy and Beth had rushed to whip off the sheet and wipe down the huge timber table before Lyndall laid out the pizza boxes. She started handing out paper plates and serviettes. It smelt like heaven and after the stressful day, Adrian nosed about eagerly. 

One of each turned out to be a very wide selection. He helped himself to a thick slice covered in mushrooms and bacon as well as a piece with roasted pumpkin and feta. It was all delicious. Amy managed to find several empty water jugs and glasses which, with Peters help, were served out to everyone. 

“Thank you again.” Adrian said thickly. Lyndall smiled. 

“Don’t thank me for this. You would have done the same for me.” She said, feeding Prince a small piece of sausage from her plate. Adrian gave the little cat a shrewd look.

“I know you’ve been fed already.” He whispered. Prince looked once in his direction and then back up at Lyndall, his lovely eyes extra wide and cute looking. 

They just sat and ate for a while, not talking much. When they had all devoured a few slices Daniel finally asked the question Adrian had been dreading.

“How bad is it out there?” He asked Lyndall. The soft mutterings died away, everyone looking towards her. She took a dignified sip of her water.

“It is fairly bad. Legally, they could not prevent me from entering but both the police and council have been stationed at the entrance. Partly to stop anyone from hurting themselves on your boundary wards and partly to screen anyone who is coming in. I do believe it will be worse in the morning.” She said. Adrian sighed.

“Well, it’s not like we weren’t expecting that.” He said, picking at his crust.

“The question is now, how long until you complete the bond?” It was a good thing Adrian had finished eating because he probably would have sprayed food all over the table.

“What?!” He spluttered, his face heating. Owethu’s face was oddly blank. Lyndall sighed and placed her cup back down on the table.

“The easiest way to prove the mate bond exists is to complete it and make it visible to other practitioners.” She said rather sternly. Adrian swallowed.

“I know that but…” He glanced over at Owethu. He didn’t want this to be a cause of resentment. What if Owethu didn’t want to complete the mate bond, to be bound for life to a weak human? 

“He does.” Lyndall said, answering the unspoken question.

“I don’t want him to feel forced into this.” Adrian rasped.

“Then perhaps you should ask me if I would.” Owethu said in his deep voice. Daniel opened his mouth but Lyndall sent him a swift warning look and said

“I think, you two should retire to your room and have a long talk about this. We can clean up here.” She looked expectantly around the room. Amy smiled and stood up.

“Certainly, we can. It’s been a long day. You should get some rest.” Amy said. Daniel looky grumpy but nodded along with everyone else. Feeling rather outnumbered, Adrian nodded. When he stood, he found Owethu already waiting for him. Adrian waved good night to everyone and headed down the corridor towards his new bedroom. 

He closed the door to the room and flipped on the bedside light.

“Your friend is correct about the bond. It will not be visible to others until it is cemented.” Owethu murmured. Adrian swallowed nervously.

“I know.” He muttered. 

“You do not wish to?” The naga asked. Adrian turned around to face him.

“I do. I just… I don’t want you to hate me.” He said, his voice growing small. The naga came in towards him and tugged him close. Adrian breathed in the man’s scent, letting it soothe him.

“I do not hate you. For any of this. I was… unsure of how this partnership was to work but I find myself rather attached to you.” Owethu murmured, his lips brushing the messy hair under his nose. Adrian relaxed.

“You're okay with being dragged into this craziness with me?” Adrian asked with a slightly lopsided smile. Owethu smirked back.

“I’ve dealt with worse.” He replied. Adrian’s eyebrow went up.

“Have you now?” Owethu ducked down and kissed him, stopping him from asking just what else the naga had done in his long life. The last of the worry and tension leeched from him as he sat down on the bed without breaking the kiss. Owethu stood over him, hands on either side of Adrian’s legs.

Owethu started to unbutton his own dress shirt as they kissed, their lips meeting and parting with small bites and licks. Adrian gasped at a particularly sharp nip, the small sting of pain like a spark. He saw a flash of a fang. He tore his mouth away from the naga’s, breathing hard.

“Wait!” Owethu drew back. He watched, his eyes darkening as his mate began to shuck off his shirt. He took in the lean form, the nipples pebbled hard with arousal. He hissed low; his fangs now more visible. 

“I do want to do this but… is there a way that I won’t end up cut to ribbons?” He croaked. Owethu lost a little of the wild look, sobering slightly. The naga took several breathes.

“It is the instinct of my kind to fight. The female fights for dominance just as much as the male does.” Owethu said thickly.

“What if I don’t fight?” Adrian murmured. He watched the snake like pupils’ contract to thin slits. 

“I don’t mind being… not dominate. I certainly don’t mind you topping.” Adrian said, his cheeks going red. Owethu let out another rumbling hiss. He dropped his head to sniff at his neck. Adrian tipped his head back and let him. 

“That could work, if you let me...” Owethu hissed. He sounded as though he was quickly losing grips with his higher thought process. 

Adrian was nervous as all hell but he wanted to at least try. Slowly, he unbuttoned his jeans. It took him a few tries because his fingers were shaking slightly. 

“There should be some lubricant in that bag over there.” He said croakily, nodding to a small pack sitting on the bedside table. Owethu grabbed it and dug around for the blue bottle. By the time he found it and turned back around, his mouth parted slightly. Adrian stood there, naked and nervous. His cock was already hard, the head flushed. He licked his lower lip nervously.

“Get into the middle of the bed.” Owethu instructed, toeing off his shoes and sliding his trousers over his slim hips. Adrian watched, his mouth watering slightly at the sight of smooth dark skin and well-defined muscles. He did as he was told, scooting his ass back into the centre of the massive bed. He expected Owethu to join him.

He did not expect the man to do shift as he did so. 

His mouth dropped open as powerful thick patterned coils grew, filling the rest of the bed as Owethu rose above him. He heard the bed creak under the weight of the huge naga. Swallowing down some trepidation, Adrian reached out a hand and stroked one massive coil. It was silky smooth and warm. Owethu didn’t move and just let his young mate touch for a short while. Adrian petted, watching the muscles coil and flex as the naga moved. This was so far outside of his experience. He knelt, awed as he stroked the patterns. 

He rose up on his knees and pressed a timid kiss to dark lips. Owethu let out a low hissing purr, winding his arms around the human. Adrian’s groan turned to a gasp as the first coil wrapped around his belly. A powerful hand slid into his hair, gripping tight, angling his head for better depth. 

“Are you scared?” Owethu murmured, the lilt to his voice prominent. Adrian shook his head.

“No.” And he realised it was true. He wasn’t afraid of Owethu. Not even as the serpent began to wind around him. He stayed still, his eyes wide and his mouth parted as one hand stayed fixed in his hair and the other ran a scorching touch over his sensitive skin. His hips jerked as dark fingertips brushed his cock. He whimpered, wanting more. The more he struggled, the faster the coils bound him.

“Please.” His words were cut short with another bruising kiss. Owethu trailed down towards his throat. He sucked hard, drawing blood to the surface and making Adrian squirm at the incredible pleasure pain of it. As he wiggled, the coils tightened. His legs were forced apart and he felt the warm scales against his sensitive inner thighs. 

His arms were trapped to his sides and his legs forced apart with only his knees and feet touching the bed. Adrian groaned, squirming. It was an insanely lewd position to be in. The helplessness, the feeling of being something small and vulnerable was incredibly heady. 

“Please.” He gasped again. Long fingers coated in the lube slid over his taint. Adrian moaned and rested his forehead against the hard muscle of Owethu’s torso. He gasped as the first long digit worked its way inside his tight hole. It had been a long time since Adrian had taken anything up his ass and he groaned at the sensation. 

Christ it felt good. His hole stung slightly as one finger became two. More lubricant and Owethu scissored inside him, stretching him. 

“That’s fine, please just fuck me!” Adrian panted. He didn’t care that he wasn’t prepped enough. He wanted the sting that he knew was coming. He squirmed if only to feel the delicious pressure of Owethu’s tight grip on his body. His mate hissed and it was a deeply feral sound that made Adrian’s cock jump against his belly. The fingers withdrew.

The coils shifted and Adrian’s eyes went wide as he felt something warm and thick rub against his ass. He bit his lip hard, hips rocking, begging silently. He inhaled sharply as he was lifted. The head of the man’s cock brushed wetly against his twitching hole. It was oddly pointed and slid inside with little resistance. 

“Oh god.” Adrian whimpered. The tip may have may thin and narrow but as he was lowered, more of the long hot cock pierced his body, thickening as it did so. Slowly, he was eased down on the slick length, utterly helpless to help or tinder.

“Is it to much?” Owethu hissed in his ear, rubbing his chin along Adrian’s throat.

“No, it’s, it’s good. Fuck!” He yelped as the thick length bottomed out. It hurt so good; his body stretched to its limit to take the naga deep inside his core. 

“Mine.” Owethu growled. 

“Mmm.” Adrian shivered; his head thrown back against Owethu’s shoulder. Hips moved slowly, the long cock sliding in and out of his sore sensitive entrance. He tried to buck, to quicken the torturous pace but Owethu’s coils tightened, holding him steady and immobile. The naga was going to take him at the rhythm he chose. This realisation only made his own need ratchet higher. 

“Please, your killing me!” Adrian whined.

“Not yet.” The naga hissed. Adrian cried out at a particularly quick thrust. That long pointed cock hit his sensitive prostate. It jabbed at it as the man pumped and Adrian could only quiver in the coils that trapped him, his own cock leaking precum onto the bed in soft pats. The sound of the man’s smooth thrusts was lewdly wet and accompanied by the human’s gasps and moans.

Owethu shifted, grinding his cock deep. Adrian groaned, his sore hole twitching around the thick length. He could feel it throb deep inside his body. It took a little shifting but Adrian turned his face up to his mate’s. Their lips met in a deep kiss, the movements slowed so they could stay locked together. The kiss was soothing, counter to the intense all consuming pleasure that built tight and hot in Adrian's core. 

When they pulled back, they were both panting softly. Owethu thrust up into the tight heat of his human lover. He eyes fixated on the flushed throat of his mate, his fangs aching. Never before had the need to complete the bond been so powerful, so overwhelming. 

“Adrian, I need to. Can-” It was one of the few times the man had actually spoken his name out loud. The voice was rough. Adrian felt the kiss against his neck, the press of fangs.

“Yes!” Adrian shouted. There was a hot flash of pain followed by a burning sensation so powerful, it threw him violently into orgasm as the long fangs pierced his flesh. The cock inside him swelled. The flood of cum was hot and slick. He felt it filling his insides and leaking from his stuffed hole. He whimpered, utterly overwhelmed. His balls ached as the last of his release ebbed through him. 

Adrian went limp, still twitching. The tight grip on his body relaxed and his arms were freed. He wrapped them weakly around Owethu’s neck, grateful for the firm support. It took awhile for the both of them to come down from their high. There was no rush or urgency, just peaceful warmth and sound of their breathes in the large bedroom. When they could both breathe normally, the naga gently eased Adrian off of him before shifting back into a fully human form. 

Adrian blushed as he felt the other’s release sliding down his legs. Oh yeah, he was definitely going to need a shower. 

“Are you alright? Did I hurt you?” Owethu said, finally pulling back a little. He sounded a little more composed, more like himself. Adrian considered for a moment, gingerly moving his arms and legs. He was a little stiff and his ass felt wonderfully sore and well used but overall, he felt pretty good.

“No. That was… incredible.” Adrian offered with a soft smile. The naga seemed to relax at this, the worry in his expression easing into docile contentedness. They curled up together, the king bed suddenly seeming enormous now that the huge python like coils were gone. Adrian absent-mindedly traced the dark ebony skin of Owethu’s arms. The man was practically hairless. 

“You know, it’s kind of funny. I never thought I would be so into kinky sex.” Adrian said, his lips drawn up in a lazy sated smirk. Owethu raised a dark eyebrow.

“Kinky?” He rolled until he was on top, his human mate staring up at him.

“That was relatively vanilla for my kind. Wait until we have the time and I will show you exactly what I can do with a willing mate.” Owethu growled, his accent more accentuated with his arousal. Adrian’s mouth fell open and his cheeks darkened.

“I’m up for that.” He whispered. He reached up and kissed the naga and Owethu let his mate have his way. 

For now. 

They both dozed, curled up in each other’s arms. As the hours crept by Adrian drifted into a deep sleep. His fears and anxieties had been momentarily driven away and he dreamt of nothing but warm sand and smooth scales. When they woke, it was early morning. 

They were both rather groggy. It was warm in the sunlight and very comfortable in the bed. It was Owethu who rose first. He lay for a moment, absorbing the delicious scent of sex and his mate. It took a little prodding but his human finally managed to wake with a quiet grumble.

He watched with a pleased smirk as the younger male hobbled into the bathroom. He helped Adrian wash, enjoying the shivering body under his soapy hands. Adrian moaned, loving the attention on his sore muscles. It pleased Owethu deeply to see the mating bite on the human’s neck.

Adrian paused in front of the bathroom mirror, his own eyes widening. First at the sight of his still rather swollen and cut lips and then at the sight of the deep, very obvious, bite. He reached up a hand and grazed the wound with his fingertips. Heat shot to his groin and he gasped, dropping his hand away.

“It will be sensitive for a while.” Owethu murmured, his eyes dark and his body still wonderfully naked as he towelled off. Adrian wasn’t minded the view. 

“So, is this it? Have we cemented the bond?” Adrian asked. He wasn’t sure why but he felt suddenly nervous. 

“We have. You are marked as mine and I as yours. Our auras are now linked and that link will be visible to any skilled practitioner.”

“Does it bother you? Being bonded?” Adrian tried to sound casual but he felt raw at the moment. Powerful arms wound around his body and he was tugged flush against the taller male. His chin was tilted to meet those terrifying serpent eyes. 

“As I said before, it does not bother me.” Owethu murmured and Adrian sagged with relief. 

“I don’t want you to feel trapped with me.” Adrian admitted.

“I do not.” 

“I’m… I’m actually really happy to hear that. I… I like you. A lot and I-” He was stumbling over his words. His mate took pity on him and leant down for a soft kiss. It still stung his lip and the naga gave a possessive purr and the tiniest taste of blood from the cut. The two broke apart with a snort of laughter as Adrian stomach gave a loud growl.

“Come. We must feed you.” Owethu said, his eyes twinkling. They both pulled on clothes, Adrian rather reluctant to see the powerful muscles of his lover covered up. Somehow though he didn’t think Daniel would appreciate the naga walking around naked. He grinned to himself. 

As soon as he opened the door to their bedroom, two furry blurs pelted inside. He sighed and scooped up one of the yowling clouds of fluff and handed Duchess to Owethu. 

“They aren’t going to stop pestering us until we give them some attention. We locked them out last night.” He said. Owethu gave the tiny black cat a suspicious look but Duchess just climbed up on the naga’s shoulder and perched there pompously, utterly unabashed. Prince did the same to Adrian and the two men left the room with their feline companions.

That wonderful feeling of completion and contentedness followed Adrian as tiny paws needled his shoulder and he couldn’t help but wonder how he could keep hold of these new feelings. 

\--

END

\--


	17. Uncomfortable Inspections

\--

Chapter Seventeen

Uncomfortable Inspections

\--

Owethu hid his pleased smirk as Adrian sat down at the dining table with a noticeable wince. Prince leapt down from the practitioner's shoulder and made a beeline for the food bowls that had been set up for the cats by the wall. Someone had refilled them. Duchess quickly followed. He was starting to get used to his mate's odd familiars. They ate loudly, their teeth crunching the biscuits. The scent of hot food grabbed Owethu’s attention

"Your grocery order arrived earlier this morning master Adrian. I have taken the liberty of unpacking it." Peters said as he walked in with a tray. He placed down a plate of scrambled eggs and bacon. Adrian looked down at it hungrily as Peters placed a second plate down in front of Owethu. Owethu was surprised to see several large fat sausages on his own plate. Adrian had apparently remembered the naga’s need for a larger amount of meat in his diet. He was oddly touched by that.

"This looks great, thanks." Adrian said. 

"How do you take you coffee sir?" Peters already knew Owethu’s preference and wasn’t going to bother asking him.

"Umm, one sugar and with milk. Maybe make that two coffees. Daniel doesn't function without it." Adrian muttered, still not used to being address as 'sir.' He wasn't sure if he ever would be. He saw Owethu shift at the mention of Daniel's name but he ignored the man. Peters gave a bow and walked away with the empty tray. 

Owethu picked up his cutlery and began eating. Adrian had started on his bacon when Daniel made an appearance, his friend still tousle-haired and tired. He revived a bit over the fresh coffee and his own plate of food. Adrian avoided eye contact for the moment, dreading the conversation that was no doubt about to come. 

It was only once Daniel drained his cup and properly looked up that he stilled. Adrian felt heat rise in his face as his best friend stared openly at the large bit at his throat. 

"That looks... raw." Daniel observed unhelpfully.

"It doesn't hurt." Adrian said, resisting the urge to reach up and touch the wound.

“So, I guess this means the bond has been completed?” Daniel ventured, looking away from the wound.

“It does.” Owethu rumbled. 

“Well at least that’s one thing the council can’t claim you invented. Cross species mate bonds are rare enough but for a species that doesn’t even form bonds among their own kind…” Daniel trailed off which was probably for the best as a faint ominous hissing was starting up from Owethu’s side of the table. 

“When did you say Mr Addison was coming back?” Daniel asked, breaking the awkward silence that had followed. Adrian suddenly wasn't so hungry anymore. He eased his plate away.

“Two days now.” Adrian said unhappily. They hadn’t even unpacked anything. Not that he particularly wanted to. 

"This is better. The sooner we get this over and done with, the sooner you get your life back." Daniel said pointedly. Adrian nodded. He knew Daniel was right. He looked back over at Owethu.

"Do you need to go back to your clan this morning?" He asked nervously. He couldn't hide the shaky breath of relief when the naga shook his head.

"No. I will remain here with you." Owethu rumbled and once again Adrian was struck with the feeling that the man wasn't quite telling him everything. He couldn't think about that now though. Peters came back in, a pair of glasses balanced on the bridge of his nose and clip board in hand. He looked rather silly, all his broad frame and sharp angles contrary to the tiny pair of eye glasses. 

“We have a lot to organise. You will need an escort back to your other residence to pack up properly. We will need to contact a real-estate agent to have photos taken and place the property back on the market. After that, we will likely need to contact your family doctor to have you physical redone. The councils is insisting on a medically trained representative be there which I believe will be unavoidable but you can use your own doctor, I have checked.” Peters said mercilessly. Adrian swallowed so hard his throat clicked. 

“Why do I need to the sell my house?” He asked. Peters raised a sharp eyebrow. He glanced briefly at Owethu, then back to Adrian.

“I was under the impression that Blackthorn Manor was to be a permanent fixture. At least for the next foreseeable couple of years.” The valet said. Adrian made a small miserable bundle in his chair, his knees drawing up. Daniel opened his mouth but didn’t seem to be able to think of anything helpful to say and closed it again. Selling the house was just so damning. It wasn’t as though Adrian was physically trapped in Blackthorn Manor but he may as well be.

“I guess so.” Adrian agreed weakly. Peters gave a nod.

“Excellent. I will make some calls and see if we can’t organise a real estate agent for this afternoon. As for the escort, the clan has its own trained guards. They can be here in the hour if you are ready to go sir.” No. He wasn’t ready to go but then he didn’t want to stay in this house either so…

“That’s fine.” Adrian said dully. He passed Amy on his way back to his new room. She gave him a warm smile that he didn’t have the strength to return. 

“Beth and I will keep working on getting the manor in order.” She said, taking his hand and squeezing it. 

“Thank you.” His voice sounded flat and formal even to his own ears. She let him go and he walked away, his cats following stealthily. 

When he got back to the bedroom, he turned to find Owethu following him. He walked over to the taller man and was relieved when his mate enveloped him in a powerful hug. They stood together in silence, Adrian breathing slowly. He let Owethu’s body warmth and particular scent sooth some of the hurt he felt. 

“How much of the furniture in your house do you want to keep?” The naga murmured into his hair. Adrian sighed. It had been both fun and painful picking out furniture. Daniel and Lyndall had finally managed to convince him that he needed something to fill the rooms with something. 

“I guess I don’t need any of it.” He muttered. The manor was fully furnished after all.

“This is your estate now. Do you not want to remove any of the more outdated pieces?” Owethu said, nodding towards the flowery patched arm chair in the corner of the room. As if to emphasise this, Dutchess chose that moment to use one of the chair legs as a scratching post. Adrian followed his gaze and gave a weak smile. He had not dared touch anything in his parent’s or Jenny’s rooms but the guest bedrooms were far less used. He didn’t even completely remember most of them. If felt less like an invasion to his family’s memory to disrupt those rooms. 

“I guess so.” Adrian admitted with a soft sigh. 

“I did spend a lot of money on picking out that furniture.” He added with a teasing smile. Owethu smirked. 

“I’m sure.” Never mind that the sheer ridiculous amount of money Adrian had to his name was more then he could ever use in one lifetime. 

“Isn’t this a little short notice? Organising a removal truck could be difficult given that we need it today.” Adrian said as he picked out a jacket from his suitcase. Owethu raised a sharp eyebrow.

“You aren’t particularly used to being rich or having connections, are you?” the naga mused. Adrian’s face heated. 

“Umm, not really. I don’t like being treated differently by people.” He said uncomfortably.

“But you are different.” Owethu said bluntly. Adrian’s face arranged itself somewhere between a scowl and a pout.

“Joy.” He grumbled. His mate just smirked. 

\--

Adrian didn’t particularly want to know how, but Peter had in fact organised a removal truck and a real estate agent to meet them at the property. He looked around at eight imposing men in black suits who would be escorting them, Adrian having dropped the estate wards to allow them about twenty minutes ago. They were all trained and under the employ of the naga clan. That didn’t really make Adrian feel any better though.

“Is this really necessary?” Adrian sighed, already knowing the answer.

“Quite.” Said Peters, staring down at his phone and typing rapidly.

“I could just… go out there and try to talk to them?” Adrian offered weakly even though the idea made him feel sick. 

“No.” Owethu growled. Lyndall, who was now dressed casually in a soft rose coloured top and track suit pants stepped in. 

“You will but in a safe setting. Undoubtably you will have to organise some sort of interview but it will be inside in a controlled setting. Not out on an open road where you’ll be jumped on by everyone and anyone with a camera. Remember, everything you do is going to be watched. If someone jumps you, the council will be very interested in why and how you respond. Best not give them more fuel for the fire.” She said carefully. Personally, Adrian was glad she took this view. He was pretty sure if he did walk out there, he would pass out just at the sight of the crowd he knew waited for them. 

“We are ready to go.” Peters said, slipping his phone away in a hidden pocket. Duchess and Prince yowled loudly. Adrian bent and scooped them up. Prince climbed to his usual spot on Adrian’s shoulder whilst Duchess purred in his arms. 

With military precision, Adrian and his friend were bustled from the Manor and into a waiting black car. Two others just like it were parked close by. After they were all seated, the cats wandering across their laps without a care, the cars set off. The locks on the doors clicked ominously. 

“Here we go again.” Adrian grumbled as they approached the end of the long drive some time later. He could see the line of figures. A few people were carrying signs. His stomach clenched and bile rose in the back of his throat as he made out a few of the words.

“Guess some people don’t think the naga’s should be in league with a practitioner.” Daniel said dryly. Several of the signs were various racist slogans against the nagas.

“Not very popular, are you?” Daniel muttered. Owethu looked unruffled. He merely stared out the window blandly. Adrian envied the man’s powerful calm. There were also policemen and several uniformed council officials. A smooth hand gently took his. Lyndall squeezed his hand. 

“Chin up.” She said with a smile. Adrian swallowed heavily and gave a weak nod. He took in a slow shaky breath.

“Why aren’t we moving?” Daniel growled. The car in front had stopped. The driver got out and had a conversation with a uniformed officer. Adrian couldn’t hear what was said. They waited in tense silence for several moments. There was a collective sigh of relief when the driver got back into the car, and the officer starting herding people out of their path. Adrian spent the trip much as he had the last one, staring down into his lap and petting Prince who had wiggling his way onto Adrian’s knee. 

The real estate agent turned out to be a rather squeaky woman named Clair Connell. She was bright, bouncy, polite and had startling long pink manicured nails. She took Adrian and his ridiculous party in stride and even cooed over the two cats riding atop Adrian’s shoulders. He shook her hand as she rapid fired questions and rattled off the house’s market value as well as the sales history in the suburb. He was only half listening. He honestly couldn’t care less how much the house sold for.

He watched with some misery as the moving truck pulled up, flattening a bed of daisies as it cut the corner coming up the driveway. Adrian had really started to like this house and its white picket fence. 

“Shall we have a look inside?” She asked with all the excitement of a child opening a large present. 

“Sure. Just give me a moment to dismantle the wards.” Adrian said. He tried to smile. His cheeks hurt a little. He paused on the cobblestone path, the group behind him. The eight body guards had positioned themselves all the way around the house and in the street, discreet and out of the way. Adrian studied his house wards. They hadn’t been tampered with since he had left though he though perhaps one of two people may have tried half-heartedly. There was some residue magic here that was not his own. 

He began to pick apart his sigils. It took little while. He wasn’t just powering them down but removing them completely. He didn’t need any of these people to tell him that he would not be coming back here again. When the last of wards were gone, he stepped up to the front door and opened it. The house still smelt of timber furniture and warmth. Daniel gave his shoulder s tight squeeze.

“Let’s just take a few good photos, then you can start packing.” Miss Connell said happily. Adrian had the odd impression that this was why she loved her job, to snoop through the houses. She peered interestedly at his artworks.

“I’m going to make us coffee.” Adrian said. Owethu went back outside to speak with Peters whilst Daniel went with him to the kitchen. The house was soon a flourish of activity. He had to hand it to Miss Connell. She was at least officiant. In no time at all she had been right through the house. Adrian was deeply grateful that Lyndall had run ahead of the woman. He couldn’t quite remember the state of his bedroom but he was pretty sure he still had dirty clothes strewn about the floor and the blanket thrown off to one side. 

“I’ll be outside.” The woman said and darted away. Daniel gave a snort. 

“This is surreal.” His friend muttered. 

“Your telling me.” Adrian grumbled. Next entered a group of five men. They all said a polite hello. They unloaded boxes and started putting them together as Adrian and Daniel starting pulling things out of the cupboards. It was going to be another damn long day. 

They took a break at lunchtime, Lyndall ordering Chinese for them all. The removalists were actually a pretty casual group of people. Amongst the awkwardness and lethargy that was setting in, Adrian was proud of his mate. Owethu had kept mostly to himself, silently shadowing Adrian from room to room. When they sat for lunch, Owethu said a quite thank you as he took his box of noodles. He didn’t eat much of it and Adrian strongly suspected that soy noodles were not the naga’s preferred meal. He didn’t complain though and started to pack again as soon as they were done eating. 

It was nearly three in the afternoon when the last of the boxes were taken away. Adrian was sore all over from all the bending and lifting but at least it was done. They hadn’t bothered to take all the appliances. Adrian told the ecstatic real estate agent that whoever bought the place could do what they wanted with the fridge, microwave, washing machine and the like. He didn’t need them.

“I don’t suppose we can just go back to the manor now?” Adrian asked bleakly. Peters shook his head.

“No sir. Your doctor’s appointment is in half an hour. We should leave now.” Adrian swore under his breathe. 

“But what about all the furniture?” He argued.

“Don’t worry about it, dude. I’ll head back with them. You wanted some of the old stuff moved out of the spare room yeah? I’ll tell them to swap stuff out.” Daniel offered. This was an unfortunately decent solution. He trusted Daniel to know what needed replacing. Adrian sighed a finally agreed. He watched his friend leave in one black car as he handed over the keys and signed the last of the paperwork.

He was in thoroughly miserable mood by the time he climbed back into the car. He pressed himself as close to Owethu as he could get in the back seat. A large arm coiled around his shoulders and he was pulled in. 

“How have you tolerated today? You must have the patience of a monk.” Adrian mumbled, inhaling his lover’s scent. Owethu made a small noise of amusement.

“I am old. I’ve lived through wars. A moving day is hardly horrific.” He rumbled. Adrian winced.

“I suppose you have.” He mumbled. Fingers wound into his hair. He shivered. He closed his eyes. He must have fallen asleep because the next time he opened them, the car had stopped and Owethu was pulling away from him. Adrian rubbed at his face, groaning. He blinked blearily as a bottle of water was dangled in front of him.

“I will organise coffee. Drink this. I imagine there will be reporters here.” Peters said. Adrian took the bottle and cracked the cap, chugging half of it down in several painful swallows. He poured out a little of it into his hands and patted his face, trying to wake up properly. He climbed stiffly out of the car. The two cats bounded down after him. He folded up his sleeves, picked up his cats and straightened his spine.

“Let’s go.” He said. 

There were reporters. Obviously, the news that his mate bond would be established today by a council official had spread. There was a smaller crowd of people out the front of the doctor’s clinic along with two harassed looking security guard and a bad-tempered nurse who looked though she was informing the reporters they would not be allowed inside. The crowd seemed to move as a single-minded entity. One person saw Adrian and a shout went out. Prince mewed in his ear, balanced on his shoulder. Adrian took a deep breath and walked forward.

“Mr Blackthorn! Is it your claim that you have formed a mate bond with a naga?”

“Mr Blackthorn, what is your goal in creating ties with the Selvagem Clan?”

“Do you intend to join the council?”

“Mr Blackthorn, is it true you are being blackmailed?”

“Mr Blackthorn!” 

Adrian kept his face a neutral as he could. He tried to look into the crowd of reports.

“I’m sorry but I’m not able to give a statement at this time, I will be late for our appointment.” Adrian had to silently congratulate on how his voice came out. It wasn’t squeaky for one. Unfortunately, his response seemed to encourage them and they all began to shout questions again, louder and more aggressively then before. Owethu’s guards helped guide them inside. The clinic was full of stunned, staring people. Another angry looking nurse came marching up to him.

“This way Mr Blackthorn but this lot need to stay here.” She said, eyeing Peters and the other three body guards. Adrian just nodded. Whatever they needed to do to get this process over with. Owethu and Adrian were taken through a set of swipe card door and down two winding corridors. 

The sight of Doctor Benson was a welcome relief. What was less welcoming was a stern looking thin man in council uniform. His watery blue eyes went from Adrian to Owethu. The man’s mouth thinned. 

“Mr Blackthorn, you of course know Doctor Benson, and this is Mr Larson. He is one of the chief medical officers sent from the high council.” Said the nurse. Her voice was polite but her eyes were narrowed and unfriendly. Mr Larson straightened. 

“Mr Blackthorn, you are here to undergo an examination to determine if your claim to a soul bond is legitimate. Our findings today will be taken back to the council for cross examination.” The man’s voice was nasally and Adrian instantly didn’t like the man. Adrian decided it was better to say nothing and just nodded, biting his tongue. 

“We will take blood and saliva then examine your magical signature.” Doctor Benson said, his expression somewhere between tired and apologetic. 

“The naga need not be in the room.” Mr Larson said tartly.

“The naga has a name and he has no legal obligation to leave.” Adrian snapped back before he could stop himself. The councilman’s lips thinned.

“You seem very taken with him.” Mr Larson said slowly.

“How good it is that your opinion on my relationship has no value.” Adrian sneered. Owethu placed a warning hand on his shoulder. On his other shoulder Prince hissed. The councilman’s eyes flicked to the white cat and then down to Duchess. Her fur as standing on end and she was staring up at him.

“Actually, Mr Blackthorn, it does. It is my job to determine if you are in the correct head space to be in relations with such a creature.” Anger was swelling hot and feral in Adrian’s blood. He wanted to punch the man.

“Yes, and it is my job to perform this examination Mr Larson.” The doctor said. Mr Larson tried to arrange his features into a less hostile expression. It didn’t work very well.

“Of course. By all means.” He said. His eyes flicked again to the two cats. He looked as though he wanted to say more but then he straightened and took a step back. 

“Roll up your sleeve a little higher please.” Mr Benson murmured as he took out some tubbing and a butterfly syringe. Adrian did as he was told, flexing his arm as he did so. The room was disgustingly tense as the doctor took his blood. Owethu was a statue of onyx. Adrian took petty comfort in the fact that his naga could almost certainly snap the man’s neck if he decided too even if the man was a high-level practitioner. 

“This should be enough. Open your mouth please Adrian.” The doctor said quietly. Doctor Benson took a swab of the inside of his cheek. 

“Alright. Stand over here for me.” Adrian glanced at a detailed sigil that had been drawn onto the smooth linoleum floor. This was not going to be fun. He gently extracted Prince’s claws from his shoulder and placed the cat down on the bench.

“Stay.” He muttered. Prince, like Duchess, was still eyeing the councilman. Adrian stepped onto the sigil. The lines began to glow a soft blue. It felt a little like low level electricity. It tingled along his skin, making the hair of his arms and neck stand up.

“Take slow breathes for me and try to relax. This might be a little uncomfortable.” It was. The tingling grew stronger. It buzzed in his ear canals and along his skull. His teeth clenched automatically in response. The sensation was unwelcome and oddly invasive. He could feel the foreign magic creeping along his own aura, seeking, leeching. He shuddered, his muscles stiff. He locked eyes with Owethu. The sight of the naga helped ease a little of the panic.

The outside pressure was rising, pressing in. Squeezing. It was like being stuffed into a tiny box that buzzed and rattled. His own magic was beginning to hum in his nerves, ready to defend him from the invasion. He had to stay relaxed and let it happen. The rest of the room faded away as he looked into the eyes of his mate. In the depths of his own fear and stress he could feel the bond. It lit in his inner vision, a presence of warmth and gold light. He could smell Owethu’s clean scent along with hot sand. 

“Impossible.” He heard someone say. Just as quickly as the presence came, it was gone. Adrian panted. He hadn’t realised he had been holding his breathe.

“Run it again.” Mr Larson said. Doctor Benson frowned.

“There is no need. The results are pretty definitive.” 

“Get out of the way, I’ll run it again.” The man snapped. He took a step forward when suddenly a huge figure was in front of him.

“The tests have been conducted by a medical professional. We are done here.” Owethu’s voice was as cold and as harsh as the grave, some his English lost in the strong accent. 

“Your free to go.” Doctor Benson said angrily, glaring at the official.

“Mr Blackthorn is not free to go! He must submit to a proper test of his-”

“And he has been. Owethu, take the young man home.” Adrian opened his mouth but a tight grip on his upper arm steered him from the room before he could say another word, the two cats racing after him. The same nurse was waiting from them and she took them back out into the waiting room. Peters gave them a nod and opened the door for them. Cameras flashed, people shouted and Adrian fought down the urge to release a wave of magic that knock them all flat. 

He had never been so grateful to be practically thrown into a car. The door shut and locked and they took off. Adrian was to shell shocked to really say much as they drove back. He just huddled by Owethu, the naga acting as sentinel. The car had to slow again as it approached the estate. It was by chance that Adrian looked out the window and saw a familiar face trying to push through to the front of the crowd.

“Wait, stop!” Adrian shouted. The driver stopped the car and Adrian leaned over to unwind the window a little. 

“Let him through!” Adrian had to shout to be heard. An officer gave him a foul ook before stepping aside for the man.

“Edmund?” The word came out more as a question. The man smiled. He looked a lot thinner than Adrian remembered, gaunter and older.

“I heard that you had returned to the Manor.” Edmund said. 

“I… well yes.” Adrian admitted. 

“Are you still in need of another cook?” He asked. Adrian blinked in surprise.

“You want to come back and work at the manor?” the older man nodded eagerly.

“If you will have me. I won’t lie. It had not been easy for me to find a new position.” Edmund said, turning over the cuff of his suit jacket. It looked old. Some of the stitching was coming undone on the sleeve. 

“I, urgh, yes of course!” Adrian spluttered, utterly taken aback.

“Sir, perhaps it would be best if I interviewed-” Adrian cut Peters off.

“Yeah, no. Edmund has worked for my family for years. You’re not interviewing him.” He snapped coldly. Unruffled, Peters raised an eyebrow.

“But-” 

“No. I didn’t refuse any of the appointments Owethu made to the staff.” He turned back to Edmund.

“You are of course welcome back.” He added. Edmund’s smile widened.

“Thank you, Adrian. This means a lot, it really does.” His voice was a little croaky. He also seemed to be avoiding Peters’ eye. He didn’t really blame the man. 

“When can I start?” Edmund asked eagerly. 

“Umm, tomorrow if you like?” Adrian said

“I will have the appropriate papers organised.” Peters said mildly. Adrian nodded.

“Well, if that’s everything, I don’t mean to be rude but this has not been a fun day.” Adrian said awkwardly. Edmund nodded.

“Of course. Thank you again. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Edmund gave a little bow and then disappeared back into the crowd. 

\--

END

\--


	18. Memories and Mysteries

\--

Chapter Eighteen

Memories and Mysteries

\--

There were a few things Adrian noticed when they got back to the main house. The first was that the removal truck wasn’t there.

“We weren’t at the doctors that long were we?” Adrian asked as he opened the car door. Owethu frowned and got out behind him. In the end, there had been a substantial number of boxes and furniture. It didn’t seem possible that they had finished unpacking already even if they had just dumped everything in the main hall. 

Adrian made to move around the car when a powerful hand closed on his shoulder.

“Wait,” Owethu murmured, his eyes glowing slightly in the evening light. He seemed to be scenting for danger. Adrian placed his hand over Owethu’s.

“There’s nothing dangerous here. The wards are all intact. Something must have happened to them whilst they were still on the road.” Adrian tones was worried. Owethu gazed down at his young mate and gave a short nod.

“Let me make some phone calls,” he rumbled. Adrian nodded.

“I’m going to try Daniel’s cell.” Adrian fumbled for his phone and called Daniel’s number. It rang for a long time. Adrian felt his anxiety increase as the ring tone wheedled on and on. Finally, it cut to Daniel’s voice mail. Adrian hung up and tried again as he went inside, Peters holding the doors open for him.

“Amy?” His voice echoed a little in the massive space.

“Adrian? What’s wrong?” She appeared from one of the side corridors.

“Has Daniel and Lyndall been back yet?” He already knew the answer but he needed to be sure. Amy looked surprised. 

“No. I thought they were still with you?” He shook his head.

“We split up. I’ll try Lyndall’s phone.” He dialled Lyndall’s number but only received the same tensely familiar silence on the other end. Neither were answering. 

He went from room to room, the two cats zooming back and forth along the floor, obvious sensing his distress. He wasn’t sure what to do. This didn’t necessarily mean anything sinister. Maybe there was a big traffic accident or something and the truck couldn’t get through. 

He checked the local news on his phone, scrolling down the news feed without really reading it. There was a mention of a truck over turning on the highway but that had been two days ago. As he looped back around to the main doors, he ran into Owethu coming inside.

“Anything?” Adrian asked hopefully. The naga shook his head.

“Should we call the police?” He looked up at the man, needing guidance.

“Am I just… over reacting? They could be fine right? Maybe they just stopped for food or something?” Adrian said. Owethu frowned.

“I find that unlikely,” he said in his deep voice. Adrian bit his lip. They both jumped slightly when Adrian’s phone went off. He looked down and let out a sigh of relief when Daniel’s name flashed on the screen.

“Hey, we were just starting to get worried-”

“Lyndall and I are fine. We’re at the police station.” Daniel cut across him in an angry voice. Adrian blinked.

“Wait, you’re where!? What happened?” he spluttered. He quickly tapped the speaker button so Owethu could hear the conversation. Peters had come back in and was listening intently.

“The moving truck was rammed.” Adrian had a very bad feeling about this.

“Why do I get the feeling it wasn’t an accident?” Adrian said. They heard Daniel snort.

“Because it wasn’t. A car and at last two people on motorcycles tried to take the truck off the road. Thankfully Lyndall saw them coming and I was able to set fire to the car,” he growled. 

“Why did they attack the truck? Did you catch them?” asked Adrian, his knuckles white on the phone.

“No. The truck driver had a broken nose from hitting the steering wheel when the truck was hit so Lyndall was preoccupied with him. The guy from the car jumped out and was picked up by one of the motorcycle riders. It all happened really fast. I barely got the plate numbers. The police are looking into them now. The car was apparently a rental so they are hoping to get a lead there but I’m not hopeful. They targeted the truck when we were going through an underpass. It was planned out. I don’t think they expected Lyndall and I to be there.” Amy had come over, her face pinched with concern as she listened.

“As for why, I think I can help answer that sir,” Owethu interjected. Adrian looked round at him in surprise. 

“Whilst you did not take all of the books in your family’s library, you did take a substantial amount of your father’s and grandfather’s research journals. They would have been in that truck,” the naga pointed out. Adrian’s mouth parted slightly.

“You think someone was after the journals?” Adrian asked. 

“It’s a firm possibility. They would be worth a fortune even to a mundane human and that’s without considering what they may contain knowledge wise.”

“Lyndall and I have to give our statements to the police. I’m not sure how long we will be but the truck is in lock down here.” Daniel said. 

“Should we go-”

Both Daniel and Owethu interrupted.

“No.” 

“But-”

“Stay there, man. It’s already messy here. Someone made a point of attacking the truck. You could be in danger,” Daniel insisted. The noise in the background of the call seemed to have increased.

“Won’t they want to keep the truck and its contents as part of the investigation?” Adrian asked. Daniel swore.

“They’ll probably try. Most people don’t have the money or influence to prevent the police from keeping anything they seize.” 

“We are not most people.” Owethu said in his deep voice. 

“If we say the journals are in there the police will probably do everything they can to hold onto them. The high council would also be very interested in getting their hands on them too.” Daniel added in a low voice.

“We can’t exactly lie. They’ll search the truck.” Adrian pointed out.

“Not necessarily. They may check inside but they shouldn’t be able to search through the boxes without a warrant.”

“Shouldn’t. Doesn’t mean they won’t try. Not when the High Council of Magic is involved,” Adrian growled.

“Leave it with Lyndall. She saw this coming.” Daniel said in a low voice, obviously trying not to be overheard.

“I have to go. Hold tight. We’ll be fine.” Daniel said at his regular volume. The call ended, leaving them all staring at a dark screen.

“What did he mean by that?” Owethu asked with a frown. Adrian smiled weakly.

“Lyndall is very good a Persuasive Magic. It’s a branch of magic that is usually associated with physics and the like, which of course, Lyndall’s family is,” he explained.

“I thought Persuasive Magic was illegal in most countries?” Owethu said with the slightest hint of a smirk. 

“Well yes. It is illegal to use it against another living human. You can’t force someone to reveal information for example. Magic always leaves behind signatures. Anyone who has been found to reveal information under influence has their statements deemed not admissible in any court of law. In saying that…” Adrian grinned up at his mate.

“Lyndall could use a spell on the boxes themselves. She doesn’t have to change their shape or anything, just make the journals look like… I don’t know, a collection of encyclopedias. It’s still risky. If the police checking the truck have any proper training as practitioners, they may notice.” The group stood there for a moment, taking all this in. 

“It is getting late. We probably won’t be able to get the truck back tonight. I will arrange some guards to watch the truck overnight. Whoever it was may assume it will be an easier target now that it is impounded,” Owethu said. Adrian nodded and then gave a long groan.

“What a mess,” Adrian sighed.

“Indeed,” the naga mused.

“I promise my life is not normally this ridiculous.” Adrian grumbled as he headed back to his make shift room. He thought he heard the man chuckle as he left. 

Adrian took a shower, still feeling the invasive spells on his body and smell of antiseptic on his skin. Owethu didn’t join him and he assumed the man had gone to arrange the guards and other… naga stuff. He really needed to learn more about what Owethu did especially if he was going to be working with the man to protect the clan. 

The sun was setting as he pulled on some fresh clothes and scooped Dutchess out of the sink. He checked his phone but there was no news so he plugged it into the charger and went back out to the main hall, stubbornly refusing to look at any of the artworks of portraits on the walls. He needed to leave the phone for a bit otherwise he would be checking it every ten second until he'd worked himself into a fit. 

"Your dinner will be ready in fifteen minutes sir." Peters said, making Adrian jump about a foot in the air. For such a large man, the valet moved as quietly as a cat. 

"You really don't have to call me sir. Even our old staff didn't call me sir." Adrian grumbled as he sat down at the massive dining table. Peters looked mildly disdainful. 

"Just because your old staff were lax in their duties does not mean I will be so in mine, sir." The man said sternly. Adrian groaned and rested his forehead on the cool timber table top. He didn't have the strength to argue with the man. Hexing him... that was a possibility. His two cats launched themselves up on the table. Adrian spent some time watching them gamble about, sniffing for pizza crumbs and wrestling each other. Watching them always settled a little of his inner turmoil. He guessed that was part of the point of having them. Both of his parent loved animals but they never bothered getting a dog or cat in case the supernatural visitors the manor often received did not get on well. 

Richard Blackthorn thought it best not to have his little daughter walking in on griffon munching on the family dog or gerbil. Probably wise. Adrian smiled faintly as he imagined his mother's expression at the sight of the two cats, one inky black and the other snowy white. She would have cooed and babbled. She would have fawned over them and spoiled them rotten. It was a good thing they were familiars because she probably would have fed them until they were the size of cars. A pang of loss struck him from hard, ebbing out from that deep raw place somewhere inside him. He closed his eyes and rubbed at them, feeling a headache coming on. 

The smell of chicken wafted towards him and he looked up to see Peters coming back with a tray. To Adrian’s relief, Owethu was right behind him. The naga sat down beside him, shooing away Duchess as she made to latch onto his sleeve with her claws. 

"How did it go?" Adrian tried to sound calm as his dinner was set down in front of him. 

"The police are not happy with clan guards staying on the premises but they cannot ask them to leave. The clan falls under diplomatic immunity," he said, picking up his own cutlery. Adrian tried to feel encouraged by this but... yeah. He didn't. 

They ate in a somewhat uncomfortable silence, the massive room echoing with the cutting and scrapping of cutlery on plate ware. It had been different yesterday with everyone there eating together, less cold and empty. 

"I must return to the clan headquarters tonight but I will return first thing tomorrow." Owethu said as he stood. Adrian looked up at him, feeling a lump form in his throat. He wanted to ask the man to stay or to take Adrian with him but that would be ridiculous and he was supposed to be an adult so instead he said;

"Okay." He watched his mate leaved the room, his footfalls echoing in the manor. Adrian shivered. He watched as Prince licked the last of the gravy off his plate.

"You done?" he asked the cat morosely. Prince meowed. Adrian figured that meant yes and scooped the cats up and headed back to his room, already anticipating a sleepless night in the to big bed in a house full of dusty ghosts and sticky memories.

\--

"Don't say it," Adrian grumbled.

"You look like shit," Daniel quipped. Adrian threw his bacon rinds at him. Duchess went pelting after them. Daniel and Lyndall had gone to their own homes last night and returned this morning for a free breakfast and updates. 

Adrian was finally able to hear the story first hand uninterrupted.

“So, we were driving along and Lyndall suddenly jumps in her seat and tells us to take the first exit. The driver starts complaining saying that’ll take longer but Lyndall insisted so I told the guy to shut up and make the turn. We start taking the ramp and Lyndall just goes completely white, so I ask her ‘what’s wrong?’ She just looks at me and says that I need to roll down my window. I did and this black motorcycle zips past, stupid close to the truck. Then the idiot cut in front of us and slams on his breaks.” Daniel paused to take a large gulp of coffee. 

“The truck driver starts shouting and break hard so we don’t run up the back of the guy. That’s when I saw the second motorcycle. It cut around to the other side of the truck. We were swerving in and out of traffic and they kept pace with us the whole way. We were lucky, if we hadn’t taken the exit, we would have been stuck on a one lane road and they could have easily cut us off. It was a while before we picked out a car that was tailing us. No matter where we went, it stayed a car or two behind. Lyndall shouted that I had to hit it. If I hit the car, the motorcycles would back off. The truck driver and his buddies were losing their shit. They thought we were being attacked by mobsters or something. So, I threw a handful of fire into the car’s hood.” Daniel had a rather malicious smirk on his face.

“The guy never saw it coming. At least I think it was a guy. The windows were tinted pretty dark. The motorcycles pulled back like Lyndall said they would and we headed for the closest police station. The rest you know.” Daniel summarised. Adrian shook his head in amazement. He glanced at Lyndall who was sipping her tea with a little smile on her lips.

“You’re amazing. Do you know that?” he asked her.

“Of course,” She answered primly. 

“I’m sorry either of you had to go through that,” Adrian murmured. Daniel snorted.

“It wasn’t your fault. How the hell where we supposed to know the moving truck would be attacked. Admittedly your lucky. Doubt they had any idea Lyndall or I would be in it. They probably figured it would be an easy job,” Daniel sniggered. 

They sat in silence for a short while, finishing cups of tea and coffee and absorbing the events from the day before. It all seemed to so surreal. Adrian’s eyes itched. He had tossed and turned all night. He had woken at about three in the morning, so sure that there was another living thing in the room that he had thrown on the light and stood rigid by the door for a full five minutes, his two cats glaring grumpily up at him from they blanket cacoon on the bed. He was about to ask Daniel exactly what the police had asked him when he felt pressure on the estate wards. He frowned.

“What is it?” Daniel asked, catching his expression.

“I forgot to tell you. Edmund approached me yesterday to ask if he could come back and join the staff.” Adrian didn’t miss the dark look his two friends shared.

“Wasn’t he one of the first people to hand in the resignation after your parents passed?” Lyndall asked, her eyes faintly worried.

“Yes, I think so,” Adrian said stiffly. He honestly didn’t remember much of the that horrible week.

“Why is he so keen to come back all of a sudden?” she questioned delicately. Adrian shrugged.

“Apparently he was having trouble finding a decent position elsewhere. I said he was welcome to come back.” Then catching Daniel’s grumpy expression, he added;

“A lot of people left and I don’t blame them. It will be good to have another familiar face here. At any rate, I think he’s here.” Lyndall glanced down at her watch.

“It barely nine in the morning,” she said in surprise 

“Well Edmund is here but I think there’s someone with him.” Adrian said, brow furrowed.

“Who?” Daniel asked.

“I’m not sure. The aura is oddly familiar but no name is jumping out at me. Should I let the wards down?”

“If they’re with Edmund it can’t be anyone to bad. Besides, I pretty sure one practitioner isn’t going to be much of a match for us.” Daniel said with a smirk. Adrian shrugged.

“If you say so.” Even as he let the wards down, he had an odd feeling in the pit of his stomach. It wasn’t until he saw the car and the richly dressed man step out of it that he realised who had picked Edmund up. Daniel swore.

“I was wrong. They can be bad. Feel free to tell him to bugger off.” Daniel growled and Simon strode up the gravel drive towards them. Edmund came sheepishly after him. Adrian vaguely wondered if Simon had offered the man a lift in order to get onto the estate. 

Although… 

That begged the question as to how Simon knew Edmund was coming to the estate…

“Adrian, it’s good to see you. I got worried when you didn’t turn up for our Friday meeting but I suppose its not surprising with everything that been going on,” Simon said brightly. The man had been polished smooth for this visit but again, Adrian couldn’t help but notice the strain in the man’s face. Simon’s smile faltered slightly at the sight of Daniel and Lyndall before he reefed it back into what he thought was a pleasant smile. 

“Ah, you have company. It’s good you have friends with you,” and yet the tone in which he said this made Adrian think Simon meant the opposite to what he had said. There was a polit noise from the entry way and Peters strode out. 

“Sir, Master Owethu will be back within the hour. He asks that you remain on the estate,” Peters said with a slight bow. Adrian gave a snort of disgust.

“Yes, because I have so many places to go this morning,” he muttered sarcastically. He glanced around, noticing everyone staring at him. Alright, this was getting awkward.

“Umm, Peters, were you able to find the paperwork for Edward’s employment contract?” he asked in his best professional voice.

“Yes sir,” said the valet.

“Alright, Edward, do you want to go with Peters and get that filled out?” The older man looked particularly uncomfortable. He gave a little nod and scurried inside. Simon beamed. With little choice Adrian stepped to one side.

“Please, come in,” Adrian said. It was probably better to just let Simon say his bit and get the man out again. 

“We need to leave to go to work but I can stay if you want me to,” Daniel murmured in his ear. Adrian gave his best friend a smile.

“Thanks, but it’s okay,” he said. Lyndall gave him a tight smile and hug. 

“Stay safe,” she said. Her expression was troubled and it looked as though she wanted to say more. 

“What is it?” Adrian muttered. She shook her head.

“I’m not sure. Just a bad feeling. Keep the cats with you,” she said and with another tight hug she headed back out into the morning sunshine and towards her little blue car. Adrian watched his friends go with a feeling of unease in his gut. 

“Perhaps a cup of tea?” Simon called. With a low groan Adrian closed the front door and turned to deal with his visitor. 

\--

END

\--


	19. The Tale of Old Friends

\--

Chapter Nineteen

The Tale of Old Friends

\--

Adrian watched with growing annoyance as Simon strutted into the foyer, his hands clasped behind him. He gazed around, apparently satisfied and looking for all the world like he owned the place. He lost a little of that swagger when a yowl drew his gaze down to the two cats now glaring at him.

"Ah, they are... so cute," Simon said in a falsely happy voice. Adrian sighed.

"Why are you here Simon? I don't mean to be rude but this isn't a good time. Also, how did you know Edmund?" He followed the man into the dining room. Amy looked up from where she had been cleaning the massive table.

"I saw the poor chap trying to get passed that line of officers at the entrance. I overheard him saying he worked for the manor and offered him a lift." Simon pulled a chair out for himself and sat down. He glanced down the table at Amy and gave her an oily smile.

"Tea please dear," he said. Amy raised an eyebrow. Adrian scowled.

"Right away sir," she said with a hint of sarcasm before Adrian had a chance to speak. Forcing down an angry phrase and reminding himself that he was supposed to be an adult, Adrian pulled out his own chair and sat down. Prince leapt up onto the table and settled himself between Adrian’s hands, his eyes fixed on Simon who looked uncomfortable at being stared down by the pint-sized cat. Good.

"Right, straight to business then," Simon said awkwardly.

"You are aware that the council has become rather… anxious of late. People are concerned about you,” said Simon in a level tone. Adrian snorted.

“None of these people even know me,” he snapped scathingly.

“Maybe not but they are very interested where the Blackthorn family is headed. I could help you there, help you make a good impression.” The way Simon’s eyes kept surveying the room made Adrian feel oddly unclean.

“As I’m sure you know, I have been building my political connections for years. I could talk to the council on your behalf, smooth out the edges, calm some rattled nerves,” Simon crooned.

“And what do you want in return?” Adrian asked. Under his hands Prince was growling low in his tiny belly, white tail lashing.

“Only to have access to some of the Blackthorn research. I did help your father collect some the information after all, we were good friends,” Simon explained.

“Wouldn’t you have your own copy of it then?” Adrian tried to sound mildly curious rather than hostile. He wanted to know exactly what this information was. He also couldn’t believe that someone would organise an attack on his moving van at the same time as Simon asking for documents.

He was young, not brain damaged.

“Well much of the research I helped your father conduct could be seen as… disruptive. We agreed that only one copy should exist to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands. As I had always been able to come and go as I pleased, it was never a problem,” Simon said smoothing down his wrist cuffs.

“Really? I don’t remember you visiting the manor. At all,” Adrian interjected, not able to curb his tone. Simon’s face flickered for a moment before settling back into his oily smile.

“Naturally, I’m sure your father didn’t want to have you children involved in something potentially unsafe. Besides, you weren’t really around much once you got into college, now were you?” Adrian flinched, feeling a needle stab of guilt at those words. No. He hadn’t come home much in his last couple of years studying. He had never regretted that more in his life.

“Exactly what is this information? You’re going to have to tell me what it is if you want me to find it.”

“It is a series of journals that relate to the construction of several key buildings in the city.”

Adrian blinked.

“I’m sorry, what?” Adrian said.

“Trivial things really but they contain floor plans as well as architectural information that is very important for my work,” Simon sighed.

“My father was an anthropologist and biologist. Why would he be conducting studies of buildings? And why would this research be unsafe?” Adrian asked flatly. Simon was beginning to look all the more uncomfortable. Small beads of sweat were collecting at his hair line. The sound of shoes on tile drew Adrian’s eyes as Amy walked back in holding the tea tray. He noticed with a small hint of a smile that only one of the cups actually had tea in it. That one she placed beside Adrian. Prince sniffed at with mild interest before flicking his sharp little eyes back to Simon.

“Well, that is to say… I think we are missing the point here Adrian. You need help to stop the council from breathing down your neck. I need a book to help with a new contract I’ve taken on. It’s a win, win.”

“What is a win, win?” The deep carrying voice with its smooth South African accent was more welcome then water in a desert. Adrian lost a little of his rigidity as Owethu strode into the dining room, his serpentine eyes fixing on Simon. There was a downward tug on those ebony lips as he surveyed the older practitioner with open dislike.

“And who are you?” he demanded. Simon leapt to his feet.

“I didn’t mean to intrude. Really. Just… have a think about my offer. You have my number; you know I have a great amount of sway with some of the council.” Simon hastily backed away from the table and toward the front door. From where Adrian sat, he heard the door slam.

"Who was that man?" Owethu asked. Adrian felt the muscles in his neck and back relax a little with his mate present.

"He was an old friend of my father's... sort of. They worked together. I think," Adrian muttered. Owethu raised an eyebrow. Adrian sighed.

"Simon is the kind of person to suck up to anyone with rank or power. I've seen photo of him and my father together but as for the rest of it, I have no idea. My dad and grandfather used to work with all kinds of people from all over the world, human and not. I'm not sure how close they were with Simon..." he admitted.

"I remember that man, hung around like a bad smell," Amy interjected, her lips turned down in a disapproving scowl.

"Do you know what he was working on?" Adrian asked, snapping around. To his disappointment, she shook her head.

"No, wasn't my place to ask," she replied primly.

"What does he want?" Owethu asked in his deep voice.

"He says he could help protect me from the council." The naga made noise like a growl.

"You do not require his protection. You do not need to owe him any favours," the man said. Adrian winced, gently running his fingers through Prince's soft fur. The cat purred, relaxed now that Simon was gone. Duchess had crept out from where she must have been lurking under the table and coiled herself around Owethu’s legs.

"I don't like the idea of it either but having another human practitioner on my side may not be a bad thing..." Adrian said slowly.

"Take my advice possum and listen to your man. People like that are trouble with a capital T. If it's a book today it will be a library tomorrow," Amy said sagely. Adrian flushed a little at the 'your man' comment but had to nod in agreement. She had a point. The idea of being in Simon’s pocket for the rest of his life was definitely not a pleasant one.

"Alright, putting that section of insanity aside for one minute, how did everything go for you last night?" Adrian asked, looking up at Owethu. The naga pulled out a chair and sat.

"The clan is fine. I attended the police station this morning. They were reluctant to talk to me. Can’t imagine why,” he said dryly. Adrian smiled.

“Mmm. Yes, impossible to work out,” Adrian said, his tone amused.

“They are insisting on keeping the van for the moment but without a warrant they will have to release it tomorrow,” Owethu added. Adrian sighed deeply, sinking back in his chair.

“Well that’s… something I guess.”

“More importantly, we need to work out a strategy for when your lawyer and the councilmen arrive this afternoon.” Peters said politely from behind them. Adrian felt the bottom drop out of his stomach and not just because he hadn’t heard the valet come in. He had completely forgotten about the impending return of Mr Addison.

"When will they be here?" He asked nervously.

"In an hour sir," Peters said helpfully. Adrian's mouth went very dry. That was not a lot of time to prepare anything.

"I don't know what to say to these people," he croaked.

"Just let the lawyer do most of the talking, it’s what you pay him for dear," Amy said sternly.

"And don't slouch. Be confident," Peters added.

"You'll be alright. I won’t leave your side," Owethu murmured. Adrian was very grateful for that.

Feeling a little shell shocked, Adrian stayed in the chair. Peters off handily asked if Adrian would like to have lunch but excused himself when Adrian blanched in response. Food was the last thing he wanted. Instead, Adrian decided to go and have a shower to at least make himself look more presentable.

“Before you go sir, you may want to drop the wards at the estate’s entry road so they can get through. Security has been increased to be sure no civilians enter the estate,” Peters called as he turned to go. Adrian sighed.

“Right, of course.” He concentrated, pulling back the power that hummed through the estate wards. They responded to him immediately, powering down for now. Task down, he retreated to his room. He was surprised to find Owethu waiting for him in their bedroom.

“You didn’t sleep last night?” the naga murmured, running a thumb gently under Adrian’s right eye. He knew from Daniel’s reaction that he probably looked a bit like a panda. He shrugged weakly.

“Not really,” he admitted. Owethu tilted his head down and Adrian turned his face up for a kiss. The naga’s thumb eased down his jaw to his throat, feeling the flutter in his pulse as their tongues brushed. The kiss was gentle, a soft brush of lips.

"We... don't have a lot of time," Adrian croaked out, still clinging to Owethu's suit jacket. Owethu gave a low hum, engulfing the smaller man in his arms. Adrian sagged into the broad chest, tense worry rattling along his nerves and settling thick and heavy in his gut.

He wanted to stop thinking, even if it was only for a short while. He glanced nervously at the bedroom door and reached out a hand to push it shut. Owethu raised an eyebrow and allowed the smaller male to step back.

It was with trembling hands that Adrian pulled his shirt over his head and tilted his head to the side. He watched the pupil's in the naga's eyes thin to slits as the man's gaze locked on the bite mark.

"Adrian..." Hearing his name in the deep accent made him shiver. Owethu didn't protest when Adrian stepped back into his personal space.

"It will have to be lower than before so it can be hidden under your shirt collar." His words were slurring together slightly. When Adrian glanced up, he could see the dropped fangs and his entire body hummed in anticipation.He nodded and relaxed against his mate. Owethu slipped his arms around the practitioner's waist and buried his nose in the man's throat, inhaling. Adrian shivered, anticipation hot and sweet in his belly. Strong fingers grabbed hold of his hips, pinning him to the wall with a bruising grip. He didn't care though.

The touch of lips made him arch. The naga shoved him against the bedroom wall, knocking the air from his lungs. There was a kiss to his throat, soft and wet before long scalp sharp fangs sliced into his neck.

Adrian gasped, pinned down. He grabbed the front of the man’s shirt, pulling him in. The venom in the long fangs hit his blood stream, temporarily blurring his vision. He sank against Owethu, trusting the man to hold him up as he floated somewhere between reality and dreams. He had never felt so touch starved. He swayed where he stood, the front of his trousers quickly becoming uncomfortably tight. The friction of the rough fabric was both good and torturous. Owethu had placed one of his legs between Adrian's, his solid thigh pressing tight to Adrian's aching balls. They balanced there.

The outside world drifted away from them, like spun sugar. Adrian could have stayed in this place for the rest of his life and not care. It was quiet here and warm. He smelt Owethu's unique cologne, could sense their bond and felt the hard muscle under his hands. All too soon Owethu eased the canines from his throat. Adrian gave an unhappy whimper. He would have tried to follow his retreating lover if his legs were stable enough. As it was, they shook as he leant panting against the wall.

Owethu was doing little better. His eyes were pools of vibrant glittering gold and his chest heaved. Blood dappled the corners of his mouth and long claws were flexing at his sides. Neither said anything, just concentrated on finding their breathe and sanity. Adrian couldn’t help but feel a small hint of pride and smugness at the large bulge in the front of Owethu's own slacks.

"Shower," Owethu hissed after several long minutes.

"Right," rasped Adrian. It took a bit to get his feet moving. To his immense disappointment, Owethu would not get under the shower spray with him but he knew damn well why. They didn't have time for what either them actually wanted to do to each other. The bite did have the affect Adrian was hoping though. The terror that had been building inside him had ebbed away, leaving him feeling lighter.

He washed slowly, enjoying the hot water and trying his best ignore his throbbing cock and equally throbbing bite mark. When he looked up and met Owethu's gaze, he jumped. Owethu had finished cleaning his face and was carefully smoothing down his suit lines. He ran snake eyes over Adrian exposed and flushed body. He came closer and beckoned with a fore finger. Adrian leant out of the shower stall and was rewarded with a bruising kiss.

"Later," the naga growled. Adrian nodded dumbly.

Great. Now his erection was going to take even longer to soften.

Adrian reluctantly left the hot spray and dressed. They adjusted his collar, making sure the fresh bite was well hidden by the fabric. The downside to this was that every movement cause the fabric to rub against the fresh wound. It felt both sore and oddly good. As they walked back to the dining hall together, they could hear the front door chime and Peters go to answer it.

“Here we go,” Adrian muttered.

Mr Addison beamed as he caught sight of Adrian. He was wearing a painfully expensive blue suit.

“The representative from the council will be along shortly,” Mr Addison said cheerfully as he greeted them. Adrian attempted to smile but it hurt his face so he stopped trying.

“I will say now, that it is important that the two of you say as little as possible. Don’t rise to any jabs, don’t defend any insults. Just be calm and trust me,” Mr Addison said in a friendly but commanding tone. Adrian swallowed and gave a nod.

“Okay,” he croaked. He was really hoping he wouldn’t have to say much. It already felt as though he was trying to swallowed something wiggly.

“Good lad.” the lawyer replied. They went into the dining hall together and settled themselves. They didn’t have to wait long before the front door chimed again. To Adrian disgust, the first man through the door was none other then Mr Larson. Following behind was a stooping, weedy looking man with thin blond hair and a black leather notebook clutched in his hand.

“Mr Larson, we spoke over the phone,” Addison stood and shook the Larson’s hand.

“Yes, this is Brain Cortello. He will be our note taker today,” Larson replied, his voice confident. His narrowed eyes locked on to Adrian like a cat to a beetle. Adrian fought not to squirm or look bothered. That was made even more difficult when the human’s eyes cast over to Owethu and the man’s lip curled in distaste.

The feeling is mutual, asshole.

Before Adrian could comment, a strong hand came down on his shoulder and squeezed. He looked up. Owethu met his gaze. The naga gave a small, almost imperceptible shake of his head. Mr Cortello didn’t say anything but gave a wobbly nod. The small man opened his notebook.

“Shall we?” Addison gestured to the empty chairs. The awkward party sat. Adrian was not surprised when both Duchess and Prince launched onto the table, scattering the papers already laid out. Adrian scooped up the cats before either could do any more damage.

“I think it would be best to begin with the findings of the medical examination as the legitimacy of the mate bond is one of the most pressing matters,” Mr Addison began pleasantly. Mr Larson cleared his throat.

“The High Council of Practitioners… acknowledges the existence of the mate bond between Mr Blackthorn and the naga.” It looked as though it took a lot of effort to get these words out and they left a sour taste in the Larson’s mouth. Adrian glared at him, trying to keep his temper under control.

Oddly though, he didn’t feel as unstable today. They were in his house. Owethu was beside him and he was safe here. Perhaps that safety was just an illusion but he felt calmer than he had in the doctor’s office. This small piece of confidence dwindled when the man looked pointedly at Prince and Duchess.

“We will, however, need to conduct more research on the two familiars,”

“What? In what way?” Adrian barked, unable to help himself.

“What my client means to say is that the council does not have the jurisdiction to remove or practice any experiments on the familiars,” Addison said, sending Adrian a warning look. Fuming, Adrian snapped his mouth shut.

“You will require a court-ordered emancipation, until then, Adrian Blackthorn is a minor and will consent to the requirements of the law.” Mr Larson sneered.

“I think you will find he is a member of the Selvagem Naga Clan. He now shares their diplomatic immunity and if the council wishes to preform more tests on him, you will require the clan’s consent,” Mr Addison said smoothly. A tick was going in the councilman’s face as he lost some of his composure. Mr Cortello was writing quickly, his pen’s scrabbling adding to the growing noise.

“He is a human!” Mr Larson barked.

“And the bonded soul mate of a Naga caporegime,” Addison cut in. Adrian looked from one to the other. Beside him, the other councilman official was doing the same, mouth slightly parted. Adrian could tell that nothing like this had ever occurred before. They simply had no idea what to do with him. Adrian suspected if they could, they would lock him away in a padded cell until they were sure they had a handle on how to best use or control his abilities. They problem was, they didn’t seem to know how to do this.

“This boy!” Larson pointed a thin finger at Adrian.

“Has two familiars! He is a threat to public security and safety!”

“Then he will not be in public until the court can discern his mental wellbeing and his best location.” Addison said politely.

“That is not your decision to make!” Larson shrieked.

“And neither is it yours,” Addison said with a slight smirk.

Adrian felt the disturbance in the magic fields. Power was flowing into the room, called by the rage of the councilman in front of them.

“Might I remind you, Mr Larson that to perform magic uninvited in the dwelling of another practitioner would very unwise.” Adrian had to hand it to his lawyer. Despite the growing prickling tension, the man looked utterly unbothered. Prince and Duchess were both standing up, their fur on end. Their hissing only seemed to aggravate the man more. The note taker was starting to look panicked.

“Sir-” Larson raised a hand, cutting his co-worker off.

“Now you listen to me-”

“I understand your frustration. I’m sure we all want what is best for Adrian’s safety and wellbeing,” Mr Addison said with a grim smile. Larson took several deep breathes. He smoothed his hair back and tried to compose himself. He attempted a smile but it came out as more of a leer.

“Yes, of course. The important thing is Mr Blackthorn’s wellbeing.” He took several steps back.

“Well. I think that concludes our meeting. Mr Blackthorn will stay on the Blackthorn estate grounds for now,” Mr Larson said, sounding as though he had come up with the idea. The lawyer smiled serenely.

“Pleasure meeting you, Mr Larson.” Addison held out his hand. Larson took it reluctantly and shook. Mr Cortello was chalk white, sweat beading on his brow. He looked incredibly relieved to be going and was scrambling to his feet. The two councilmen turned from the room, Adrian still itching to hurl something at their retreating forms.

“The council always employs such lovely people,” Addison said.

\--

END

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End file.
